As Time Goes On
by NewWriter557
Summary: Sequel to The Lost Girl: Have you ever had your life completely turned upside down? Esme had. She was once a lonely girl, desperate to have someone to call her own, somewhere to belong and now? Now she was a sister to two brothers and a daughter. This life is everything she ever had ever wanted but neither her journey nor her fight are over just yet.
1. Chapter 1

1

The wind gently blew through her hair, encouraging it to fly with it as it danced through the town ahead. It felt refreshing, having something natural blow through the hair that had been scraped back into a ponytail for weeks and probably stank of chemicals. Walking between the hospital and the manor was long, but a journey Esme savoured; there was no one to comfort, no one questioning her, no one relying on her. The streets were a mixture of black tarmac and orange leaves, a beautiful combination even in the its rain soaked state, and it calmed Esme. Wrapped up in the scarf and coat Granny had gifted her, Esme began her journey to pick up Henry and Roland, who were at the house being looked after by Snow and Charming. It had been 6 weeks since Regina and Robin were hospitalised. Following Esme and Henry breaking the compelling they were placed under years ago, they were both overcome by seemingly unbearable pain in their brains and had to be sedated; something the doctor called a medically induced coma. They were scanned constantly and today was the doctors fourth attempt to bring them out but, much like the previous three, this attempt failed. Although all of their scans showed normal brain activity, and the initial signs when they were waking up seemed positive, the pain returned and both Robin and Regina had to sedated again. The boys had been present the first time the doctors tried to bring round Robin, but he didn't react well and Esme made the decision that Roland and Henry shouldn't be there anymore; it raised their hopes too much and she hated seeing the looks on their little faces when it didn't work. This first act as big sister didn't go down particularly well to begin with - Henry and her argued over whether or not she had the right to stop him seeing his mom and Roland was constantly upset. But after a couple of weeks, Henry began to realise Esme was merely trying to protect him and they both forgot about the angry words that were said, and Roland was appeased when Esme promised to bring him to see his father and 'Gina' every morning before school and after dinner.

As she walked into the centre of Storybrooke, Esme watched people go about their daily lives and found herself quite jealous; people were chatting, laughing, shopping and working while she was trying to juggle ten different things. The news that she had found her long lost father and mother still seemed almost comical to her; she hadn't even been looking for them, prior to her arrival here, yet she ended up in the same town as them both. Had they been conscious, talking to them and living with them may have made her feel differently but with the situation as it was, she still viewed them as strangers; lovely strangers, who had helped and cared for her, but nevertheless, they were strangers. This made it awkward when people asked her about Regina and Robin. Storybrooke was a small town, and although the people were generally kind and warm, they were insatiable gossips, so news of the scandal broke relatively quickly; within days, it was common knowledge. Some people said, 'How are Regina and Robin?' which Esme could answer without hesitation. It was when they asked, 'How are your parents?' when she stumbled because, in her head, she didn't have any.

The complexity of her situation grew even more intricate when people asked, 'How are Roland and Henry?' because to Esme, they were her brothers. Prior to the revelation, although they had got on, she remained a visitor in their lives; someone to play with, joke with, make up stories with but not form a lasting relationship with as she was merely temporary. However, following Regina and Robin's hospitalisation, Esme got together with Will, Snow and Charming and made an argument that the boys should stay with her, and she would live in Regina's house with them. Although there were some valid reasons against this, primarily her being a relatively new persons in their lives, it was agreed that while their parents situation was uncertain, they would maintain as much normality as possible; this meant staying in their own home and going to school while the others focussed on Emma. Thus within a couple of months, Esme had gone from being isolated and horribly alone, to being the sole carer of her two younger brothers; and she revelled in it. She loved making them breakfast, playing games with them, helping them with their homework, making packed lunches and al of the mundane things that everyone else seemed to take for granted. She loved how they looked at her like she was some sort of saviour, completely unaware that it was actually them who had saved her. For years, she was so used to being alone that she became disassociated with her own emotions - there was no use feeling sad if no one was there to help, no point in being happy when there is no one there to share that with - and the boys, her brothers, had helped her reconnect with the land of the living. Henry had helped her realise they were actually siblings, but the pair disagreed over whether or not to tell Roland. Esme felt he was too young and that with everything with his mother, she didn't want to disrupt his life further but Henry thought he would be happy to gain a sister; he was right. Every morning, she was woken up by Roland jumping on her sofa shouting 'wake up sissy!", a phrase he picked up from a joke Henry made. 'Sissy' was now their favoured name for her and, although she pretended otherwise, she didn't particularly mind; it felt nice to belong to someone, somewhere.

As she walked through the town and turned the corner, she saw them both playing in Regina's front yard, blissfully unaware of the failed attempt at waking their parents up. Roland saw her first and came running down the path and sidewalk.

"Sissy! Sissy!" He ran and jumped into her arms.

"Hey, little man! What have you two been doing?" Esme said, returning his squeeze before placing him on her hip. He was almost too big for her to carry now, but he didn't seem to know.

"We were playing catch but I lost." Roland hated to lose, so Esme couldn't help but laugh as he put on his best sad face and snuggled his head into her neck.

"Hey!" Henry said, running over to her.

"Hey bud! You ready to go see your mom later?"

"Definitely. Any change?" Henry asked her this every day, and although she hated giving him the same answer, she couldn't lie to him.

"No, hun, i'm sorry," replied Esme, stroking his face before using her free arm to support Roland. She put Roland back on the ground, took his hand and put her arm around Henry's shoulders as the walked up to the house to thank Snow and Charming.

"Hey! Thanks for watching them again," Esme said, returning Snow and Charming's hugs.

"Our pleasure! How did things go at the hospital?" Snow asked, as Charming ran after Neal, who seemed to be delighted to be walking. Esme checked to ensure that the boys were out of earshot and so were pleased when she saw them run around with Neal.

"The same. The doctors just can't figure out what's happening; their scans are all coming back normal. Belle's been helping me search for more information on compelling and its side effects but we can't find much. All we know is that it must have been someone powerful but that doesn't help Robin and Regina." Esme was getting frustrated; not at Regina and Robin, as this wasn't their fault, but at the whole situation; the lack of answers, the multiplication of questions and the limited resources.

"And how are you, sweetie?" Snow said, compassionately rubbing Esme's arm. Esme had enjoyed spending more time with both Snow and Charming, they truly were lovely people, but she always felt some sort of guilt; it was Regina, her mom technically, who had caused them to miss out on being involved in the life of their only daughter and they were now dealing with their own problems with Emma. So this question made her uncomfortable; she didn't want to lie to her, but she also didn't want to dump all of her emotions on the woman who had already helped her enough.

"Ummmm.. you know, i'm doing good," Esme said, purposely keeping her answer short. Snow didn't seem to buy the act, but didn't push the matter any further.

"Okay, well if you need anything, you let me know okay?"

"Okay," Esme said smiling. "Thank you. Same time tomorrow okay?" Esme said, hugging Snow goodbye.

"Of course," Snow said, reassuringly rubbing her back before calling David.

The boys ran over to hug both Snow and Charming goodbye and they stood at the gate and watched as they held baby Neal's hand as he walked down the street. Esme had a great deal of admiration for them both - they had their own problems but never let it affect anyone else - and everyday, they were a reminder to Esme on how she wanted to behave with her brothers.

"Can we go see mom and Robin now?" Henry said. Although he tried to act like he was okay, he had never spent so long away from his mom and he missed her desperately; whatever anyone else said, she had always been there for him. It was her who nursed him when he was sick, she always cut the crusts off his toast, she knew his favourite everything and did everything in her power to make sure he was, and remained, happy and safe. He did, however, love Esme, and enjoyed getting to know her more, so that eased the sting slightly.

"Now? We need dinner squirt and-"

"But we didn't get to see them this morning," Roland complained. He was still to young to really understand the severity of the situation his father was in, but Henry wasn't and he knew that he missed his visit with his mom because the doctors were trying to wake his mom up. It clearly hadn't worked, or Esme would have told him, and so he wanted to see if there was any difference at all with his mom. Esme paused before answering them, but their hopeful eyes were glaring at her and so she eventually relented.

"Eugh okay. But when I say it's time to go, no arguments okay?"

"Okay!" Roland said before jumping, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the sidewalk with Henry beside him.

"Wait I need to lock the house!" she said, running up to the door, locking it and then returning to Roland and Henry. The boys ran almost the whole way, only stopping when Esme called on them to stop. When they arrived at the hospital, Esme took Roland's hand, to ensure that he didn't run around like an insane person, and placed her arm reassuringly around Henry's shoulder. She tried to keep them as calm as possible, but it was ultimately for nothing, because when they turned the corner to go to Regina and Robin's joined room, they were greeted by madness. Doctors and nurses were rushing in and out of the room and crowded around Regina and Robin. Esme lost her grip of both boys and they ran immediately into the room, only to be ushered out by the nurses. Esme rushed up to them both and hugged them close to her.

"What's happening?" Esme questioned the nurse.

"At the moment we cannot be certain exactly-"

"Well roughly then. What is happening?!" Esme said, losing her temper.

"We believe they are waking up."


	2. Chapter 2

"Really?" said an elated Henry. Esme looked at him with a mixture of sympathy and worry in her eyes; the nurse shouldn't have told him that, she thought.

"What? But you already tried that today and it didn't work." Esme said, running after the nurse who was walking swiftly around the hospital grabbing things Esme didn't recognise. She was concerned about the time escalation - usually the doctors tried once a week, so why twice in one day- and the nurses lack of reply didn't ease the pit in her stomach. As the nurse continued to ignore Esme's quizzical glares, Esme turned to look at Henry and Roland. They were peering through the window into the room their mom and dad shared, probably hoping they would wake up and everything would go back to normal. But would it? This was one of the many things that kept Esme awake on that lumpy couch; even when Regina and Robin did wake up, would they be the same? She didn't know for sure, but she had guessed that all of that pain that engulfed them was the arrival of a huge amount of emotion all at once; anger at losing their child, confusion because they didn't know how or why, guilt because a mere spell had made them forget the love that they had for each other and their child and other things Esme couldn't even fathom. All of that would have been hard to handle gradually through the years, let alone in mere seconds. Would they remember her? Would they even want to know her now? After-all, she wasn't a cute little kid anymore and they already had two great kids-

"Sissy?" Roland said, tugging on her coat; she had been daydreaming. Henry came walking over to her with a confused look on his face, but he seemed to be reassured when she smiled at him. Esme looked around and noticed it had now gone relatively quite in Robin and Regina's room; there were now only a handful of people. Esme looked at the clock and decided that she and her brothers had been without answers for long enough. She kissed Roland on the head, placed her arm around Henry and told them both to wait at the chairs in the waiting area of the reception. When she saw that they obeyed, she walked to the door of Robin and Regina's room and paused for a second. There didn't seem to be any change in either Robin or Regina, but their faces were obscured with the people crowded around them, so she couldn't be sure that they weren't already awake. She took a deep breath and entered the room.

"Hey! Hey!" said a very angry doctor; Esme's entrance had apparently disrupted his note taking.

"Can one of you please tell me exactly what is going on with them?"

"As i am sure the nurse has made you aware, we are not su-"

"She said they were waking up! Why are you waking them up again?"

"We aren't. They are showing signs of waking up on their own accord," the doctor said in an irritatingly calm and patronising tone.

"Their own accord? I thought their coma's were medically induced? They can't just fight the medicine?"

"You'd do well to put nothing past Regina Mills, Miss Esmerelda," joked the doctor.

"And Robin Hood?" She wasn't amused at the doctor's ill-timed humour.

"Following the previous failed attempts, we used weaker doses of the medicine each time we put them under. This morning, i decided a sedative would be used to ease the pain in their head, without hindering their waking up; it worked. As you have been made aware, they are showing signs of waking up and i'm sure they will make a full recovery."

"Showing signs?"

"Hand movements, groans and such." Prior to this, Esme respected the fact that he told her things as they were; in the six weeks prior to this, although sometimes harsh, he always told her the truth. However now, he seemed to be flippant and this agitated her.

"Can the boys see them now?"

"I see no reason that they couldn't," he said while looking at another chart and giving Esme the distinct impression that her questions were bothering him.

Esme paused to think about the effect this could have on the boys but she knew that she had to tell them something; they were peering in the window. She left the room and decided to tell them both the truth; honesty was the best policy and all that. She walked out to them and was greeted by two very hopeful faces.

"Is it true? Have they woken up?" Henry said. Esme knew it was inappropriate but she did giggle a little into herself when she saw he had his arm protectively around Roland's shoulder.

"Ummm, sort of. They haven't fully woken up right now, buddies, but the doctors said that they think they will soon." This seemed to appease them but they still looked at her, expecting something more.

"Soooo.. Can we see them?" Henry asked. He saw the worry in Esme's face, and he completely understood why, but he was desperate to see his mom. For weeks he had only been able to see her through that glass window and occasionally hold her hand; but he missed her voice, the way she stroked his head, the way her hugs felt.

"Please," he said, imploring her to say yes with his best, sad eyes.

"Umm, okay. But-" Esme should probably have led with 'when i say we leave, we leave' because the second she said 'okay' the boys ran straight into the room. Esme walked after them and was greeted by the hospital room that had become oh so familiar. It was a rectangular room, surrounded by windows. Robin and Regina's beds were in the centre of the small room, and were merely separated by a shared bedside cabinet, which, for some reason, made Esme feel better about leaving them here each day; she knew that she wasn't leaving them alone. She entered the room just in time as Roland was jumping all over his father.

"Roland! Roland! No sweetie, you can't do that here," Esme said as calmly as possible, lifting him off the bed and placing him in the chair beside it.

"But why? They said daddy was getting better." The genuine confusion in his little face made Esme laugh but broke her heart at the same time; this was a lot to take in for a kid, maybe she shouldn't have let them come .

"He is but he still isn't back to normal yet, thats all," Henry explained after Esme stayed silent. Esme looked over at Henry and mouthed 'thank you'. She was still thinking of what to say and how best to explain everything when Henry said this and it was all Roland needed; Henry was taking to this big brother business like a duck to water. But clearly his favourite role was the doting son and this, he never failed at. Esme knew that if Regina was going to wake up for anyone, it would be Henry and she hoped that this meeting would give them both what they need; Regina needed Henry, and would tell you so herself, but Henry needed his mom. Esme had been staring at Henry holding his mother's hand so gently for a moment or two but broke her focus from Regina and Henry when Roland started tugging at some of the tubes connected to Robin.

"No Roland! Daddy needs those," Esme explained.

"What do this one do?" was the popular question for around an hour. Roland pointed at various different tubes, needles, monitors and buttons and Esme tried to explain what they did and when she didn't know, she made it up. This kept him occupied for around an hour but he soon grew tired of the game and was frustrated that his father wasn't playing with him so asked to go get food, then to go get water, then to go home and watch a film; ultimately he wanted to leave the hospital and Esme couldn't blame him, it wasn't exactly a fun place for a 6 year old. But Roland leaving was never going to be the problem, and Esme knew it. The minute Roland began to complain, Henry cradled his mothers hand in both of his and made sure Esme knew he wasn't leaving.

"Okay kiddo, you sit there okay. No more playing with Daddy's machines," Esme said and placed Roland back into the chair he had already climbed out of 50 times. She slowly waked over to Henry and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him from the back so that he could remain looking at his mother.

"I'm sorry kiddo but we have to go. It's nearly Roland's bedtime and-"

"So you go, Ez. I'm staying."

"Wh- Henry i'm not leaving you here. I promise we will come back first thing tomorrow before scho-" Emse said, straightening up and trying to look as nice but stern as possible.

"And what if she wakes up tonight?"

This was a question Esme had no legitimate reply for.

"She's not waking up alone, Esme. We don't know what she remembers or how she'll be feeling and i'm not leaving her to deal with all of that alone." He was resolute and if there was one thing Esme had learned about her brother, it was that once he had made his mind up, very little would change it; this was ironic because although they weren't actually related, not by blood, this was definitely a trait they both shared. Esme looked at the young man in front of her and was astounded, yet again, at his selflessness; at a time where most teenagers wanted to be playing games or chasing girls, Henry wanted to be by his mothers side, on the off chance that she would wake up and need him. Esme put her arm around his shoulder and tried to reassure him.

"I'll tell you what. Why don't i get Will to baby- look after you two tonight, and i'll come back and stay with them both?" She knew how much Henry hated the word 'babysit' - it was often greeted with the typical response of 'i'm not a baby' - and so tried to correct her mistake before he noticed. She wasn't sure it had worked, however, as it took him longer than expected to answer but Esme was relieved when he finally agreed.

"But only if i can come here first thing tomorrow morning."

"Deal." Esme replied and hugged him as he stood up, hoping she could ease his pain, at least a little.

"Alright little knight," Esme said as she crouched down beside Roland who was beginning to doze in the armchair. He didn't respond, he merely put his arms up for Esme to carry him and that was that. Or at least it should have been.

"Re-Re-Re".

"Did you hear that?" Esme asked Henry, just as they were about to open the door. It sounded like a very faint, very silent cough.

"Yeah. Was it you?" He said, turning around to see that both Regina and Robin were still; they were.

"No, you?" She had also turned around and now stood perfectly still while grabbing Henry's arm, encouraging him to do the same.

"Re-gi-"

"It's Robin!" Esme said as quietly as possible so that she didn't alarm Roland. She couldn't quite make out what he was saying, but she could see that his brow was furrowed and his mouth did move, albeit slightly.

"Squirt, get the doctor?"

Henry immediately left and Esme placed Roland, who was sleepy, in the chair with her coat as a pillow. She immediately walked over to him and held his hand, unsure of what else to do but try and comfort him. He felt her touch and very slowly rolled his head slightly to look at her, and when their eyes met, Esme saw a tear gently roll down his cheek.


	3. Chapter 3

"Robin? Robin!" Esme said, struggling to conceal her own tears. She studied his face but all she could see was pain; his eyes were winced and his mouth was moving slightly but he was struggling to get any words out. All she could do was hold his hand and hope he would come to again. He didn't. Their moment was cruelly taken away by the doctor.

"What happened?" he said, as he swanned in, immediately checking Robin's pulse and talking to him, even though he didn't answer.

"I..I dunno," Esme said, wiping her eyes. Tears were beginning to sting them but she didn't want the boys to see.

"He just started grumbling," Henry said, placing his hand on Esme's shoulder. He knew that this had all been tough on her; her world had been turned upside down and, although she tried desperately to act like she was taking it all in her stride, gaining an entire family and the situation they were now in was hard. Henry was also aware that he had missed something just now; in all of this time, throughout all the arguments, all the travelling, the evil aunt, the dark one, all of the information that she was drowning in, Esme never cried. Not once.

"Well, i see no physical change now," the doctor explained.

"What? But he was talking just a-" Esme began.

"And although that is a sign of him waking up, that doesn't mean its going to happen right this second" the doctor said, sympathetically.

"Do you know how long will it take?" Henry asked, all too aware that Roland was now up and their conversation needed to end pretty quickly.

"That could take hours, days, months or years. We just don't know," he said. He could see that this wasn't the answer they wanted, but he had found lying to patients typically caused more harm than good in the long run. He saw the looks on both Esme and Henry's faces and felt pity; Roland was too young to understand, but Henry fully understood the severity of the situation and, although he wasn't sure what the deal was with her, for weeks he had watched Esme look after these two young boys, but she was struggling. He knew it and Henry knew it.

"Hey Ez, how about i take Roland to stay with Will. I'll be right back, okay?" Henry said, rubbing her shoulders.

"Why don't you stay with him too? You need sleep too squirt, you have school in the morning." Esme said, looking at him with a fake smile on her face. Trying to tear Henry away from this hospital room and getting him to go to school were the toughest things to get him to do and now that she finally got him into a routine, she didn't want what happened tonight to ruin all of that.

"Ummm.. how about I come back here after and still go to school on the morning, okay?" Henry said, with a cheeky smile. Roland was now on his back and when Esme nodded in agreement, Henry kissed her on the cheek and promptly left to go to Will and it wasn't long after this that the doctor left too, concluding that the groans and grumbles that Robin made were simply signs of weaning him from the medication.

Once Esme left alone, she took a moment to herself and closed her eyes. She didn't really know what she wanted to do; she wasn't particularly sad so couldn't cry, she wasn't happy so couldn't smile and there was no part of this situation that was funny so she couldn't laugh either but she wanted to do something. The last few months had been hectic and she felt as if she had only got over one hurdle when another one came at her and she didn't have any break in between; she was functioning, but now living. She became a big sister and a daughter all in the space of one day but instead of being able to ask all of the questions that she had, her long lost parents were now in medically induced comas which she accidentally caused by breaking their compelling enchantment they were placed under for decades; maybe it was funny.

Esme had always thought that she didn't really care about family; back in Messene she always new that she had no family and once Zoe made it her mission to hunt her, finding one was never an option. But now that it was a reality and they were lying here in-front of her, she felt..odd. She wasn't sure how to be a daughter or a sister, she'd never been one before, so she was scared. She knew she felt happy, spending so much time with Henry and Roland as their sister was the best few weeks of her life, but she was also angry. Angry that she couldn't have been there for them from the beginning. Angry that she couldn't have the same kind of relationship with Regina and Robin that they had. Angry that that had been taken away from her and she was sent to a place with no love, no support, no anything. But, mostly, she was confused. Who was she angry with? She couldn't be any with Regina and Robin; they had been compelled. Was the person who compelled them Zelena? If it was, why? If it wasn't, who was it? Should she be worried about this person making a reappearance into their lives? She felt odd because, even though she felt so much, feeling it all of once made her feel numb and she hated it. But if this is how she felt, how must Regina and Robin feel? She slowly opened her eyes and looked at them both.

Robin, although slightly paler, simply looked as if he was sleeping. Whatever pain he had been in a mere moment ago seemed to have eased during the doctors examination and Esme was pleased; he was too sweet a man to be in such pain, although Esme felt like she sometimes didn't give him enough credit. She had it in her head that he was somehow weak; she felt that because he had no magical ability he stood no chance against a magical enemy. But this was unfair. She had come to realise that he not only lived but thrived in the enchanted forrest for years; Esme knew because she had read his story. He had dealt with the death of his wife Marion and single handedly raised and protected their son, Roland. He dealt with falling in love with a villain and then losing her again and again before finally protecting her with his own life in a battle he was never going to win. He had given food, shelter and love to a complete stranger when he could have sent her away; he was a good, kind, strong man. Esme was never sure why, but she always had a connection with Robin. He was a joker; he made her laugh when she was exhausted from practicing with Regina, he brought out a goofy side of Esme she didn't even know she had, he made her feel her age and not like she had to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. If he had been awake now, she knows he would be making some silly joke just to make her smile, if even for a moment. She looked at him and thought about what he had done for her and resolved that she would do the same for him. As she stared at him, she realised he would be angry she was focusing so much on him and not on his love, so she stood up, kissed him on the head, and shuffled the chair to look at Regina.

As she held her hand, Esme looked at the woman who was once so strong and worried about how frail and weak she looked. Regina, although not particularly warm, astounded Esme. Although she did so begrudgingly, Regina did agree to help her, fully aware that a total stranger would gain full access to all of her deepest, darkest secrets. So, although initially they didn't particularly like one another, Regina had trusted Esme and in return, Esme trusted Regina. Then, as their weeks of training went on, Esme gained an insight into the torment Regina faced and she gained a whole new perspective from which she viewed her; even though she suffered all of these heinous things, she injured it and was now a better person, a good person. She was resilient, strong, powerful and, above all, protective. She protected everyone and everything she loved with all of her soul and that was because she fought tooth and nail for every single one of them; a trait Esme deeply admired. Even for all her misgivings, Regina was an incredible mother who loved Henry, and even little Roland, with every bone in her body. Esme hoped that, one day, she would get the opportunity to make Regina as happy or as proud as those boys did. She wasn't sure how, but she wanted to be a good daughter; she wanted to protect her family the way Regina did, she wanted to love her family as deeply as Regina did and she wanted to be as strong and reliant as her mother. Although she looked fragile now, Esme knew that the strong woman she was before was under the surface and she vowed to get Regina, and Robin, back.

As she made this vow in her head, she heard another groan from Robin. Esme bolted up so quickly she was by his side in seconds, and she was glad that she was because he began to open his eyes. She took his hand, because he looked in pain again, as he slowly began to try to talk.

"I…I…" he began, but his throat was dry and stopped him from completing his sentence. Esme waited patiently, not wanting to push him at all, hoping to prevent him falling unconscious again.

"I..re…member…you.." he said, and squeezed her hand.


	4. Chapter 4

"Yo- You what?" Esme said, almost certain that she had heard him correctly but she needed to be sure. Her eyes were beginning to sting with tears at the sight of the realisation in his face; this was real - he was her father and whatever memory or memories he had, she was in them.

"I..remember yo- ahhhh!" Robin began before grasping his head again, much like he had done several times these past few weeks. The outcome of this was always that he went back into unconsciousness but Esme was desperate not to let that happen again. He remembered her! He actually remembered her and in all her life, she never thought she would want something as much as she wanted to just talk to him right now.

"No! No Robin please! Fight it or some-" she pleaded, desperately trying to grab his hands, hoping that reassurance or comfort would prevent the pain getting too sever and he could remain concious. She was forced to stop however when she felt the kind of dizziness she welcomes as an old friend; the world began to spin and, although probably a ridiculous thing to think, the last thing she remembered doing was grasping Robins hand tighter as she fell into unconsciousness.

 _The world was black for a moment, until the image or Robin and Regina faded into view. Robin and Regina lay entangled on the red, checked picnic blanket in the meadow. Regina head was nestled into Robin's neck and they lay in silence, enjoying the rustling of the tress, the smell of freshly cut grass and the sound of the rivers meeting the lake nearby. The scene was picturesque and Robin was elated to finally spend some time with his love. This was he favourite spot, she loved the poppies that were speckled throughout the meadow, it was secluded so the two were safe, and the forrest was nearby, which she loved as it was a piece of Robin. He could feel her hair brushing along the side of his ear as the wind blew, he could smell the apple shampoo she had used and he loved every second of holding her in his arms. Here, she was safe._

 _"_ _Right, lazybones. I'll race you!" Robin said, promptly jumping up._

 _He looked back and saw Regina's confused face with a huge smile spread across it; he lived for that smile. He would do anything to see that smile, all day, everyday. He had seen her at her worst - with tears gushing down her cheeks and sadness etched into her face - and he made a vow; he would never be the source of such sadness and would always provide a remedy. If that remedy was a joke, he would do it. If that remedy was a meal, he would do that too. But the best remedy was this meadow, and that was something he was happy to provide. As she chased him, he saw the happiness radiate from her eyes and he wished he could keep her here, protect her here for the rest of their lives, but he couldn't. Both he and Regina knew that her mother would hunt them, and Regina was terrified she would do to Robin what she did to Daniel just under two years ago. Although Robin begged her to run away with him, Regina was adamant this would never work; this was her plan with Daniel and somehow it had all gone horribly wrong, and she couldn't lose him._

 _"_ _Hey! You had a head start!" Regina playful squealed, trying desperately to catch up to him._

 _"_ _You'll just have to run faster then m'lady!" he said. He saw the lake approaching and ran even faster before launching himself off the bank and straight into the crystal clear water. It was a particularly hot day, so the water felt like ice for a moment before it became enjoyable. He surfaced and watched as Regina stood on the river bank, arms folded._

 _"_ _I'm not going in there! Mother will see that my dress is wet!"_

 _"_ _My love, you are a witch! And a rather brilliant one at that! I'm sure you can muster a spell to dry your dress!" he said, treading water and giving Regina a flirtatious grin. Regina simply smiled in response, took off her heavy dress and jumped into the lake in her underclothes. She disappeared for a few seconds longer than Robin had anticipated and he began to panic._

 _"_ _Regina?" He said but received no response._

 _"_ _Regina!" he cried._

 _"_ _Bah!" Regina screamed, jumping onto Robin's shoulders so that his head became submerged. She laughed as he surfaced again, spluttering and splashing water into her face in retaliation._

 _"_ _You weren't scared were you?" Regina said, laughing as he recovered from his fright._

 _"_ _Of you? Never." He said as he swan towards her. He put his arms around her wait, but his grin gave him away and Regina immediately protested._

 _"_ _No, no, no, no!" Regina cried, giggling between each word. Her protests were in vain for Robin immediately lifted her and threw her into the lake again and began to spin towards the shallower end of the lake before she came up for air. Regina immediately swam after him, grateful to be able to stand, as her clothes were heavy._

 _"_ _You're so mean!" Regina giggled, walking up to him as he floating on his back._

 _"_ _To you my dear? Never!" Robin said, charming as ever._

 _"_ _Well what was that then!" She said, enjoying the view of his typically baggy shirt now clinging to his chest._

 _"_ _That, my love, is called shameless flirting," he said, standing up and immediately pulling her closer. He held each side of her face with his hands and stared into her eyes. It amazed him that the same eyes which had seen such terrible sadness, looked at him with such love. He wanted to be the man she thought he was, he wanted to be the man she needed, he wanted to be hers. He gently stroked each of her cheeks, carefully brushing away the loose hair that had escaped her up-do, and then he kissed her. He kissed her gently but their kiss soon became passionate as he pulled her closer to him, their bodies pressed to one another. After moments of feverish kissing, their moment of passion was soon interrupted by the noise of an engine._

 _"_ _What is that?" Regina said, all too aware that they couldn't be seen; if her mother found out that she was dating Robin and not trying to find some Prince to marry, she would kill them both. Robin held her waist protectively and she looked at the concern in his face; she loved how much he worried._

 _"_ _I don't know. Perhaps we should leave my love, return to the forrest."_

 _"_ _Sure. There's all the privacy we need there," Regina said seductively, kissing him gently and slowly. Robin returned her kiss with just as much passion but quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the bank. The two ran hand in hand along the meadow, collecting the picnic Robin had made en route before retreating into the forrest. By the time they got to the forrest they were gasping for air, but laughed at the circumstances. Robin flopped down onto his back and Regina quickly lay down next to him, returning to the position they enjoyed in the meadow. Robin kissed her affectionately on the head, rubbed her arm with the side of his thumb and held her hand, which was draped across his chest._

 _"_ _I wish we could stay like this," he whispered, continuing to stoke her arm._

 _"_ _Mmmm" Regina sighed, nestling her head further into Robins neck. "Me too."_

 _"_ _Why don't we-"_

 _"_ _Shhhh," Regina said placing her finger over Robins lips. She kissed him softly, before placing her head back where it belonged. She knew where this was going and she was tired of discussing it. There was nothing in the world Regina would love more than to run away with Robin; she loved how he made her feel ,she loved who she was when she was with him, she loved him. She loved him deeply, with every bone in her body, and it was because of this love that she couldn't run away with him. They would never be safe. They would never be able to settle long enough to have a home or have a wedding surrounded by family and friends and that was a what she wanted for him. She couldn't put Robin in the danger she put Daniel in, she couldn't lose him. Losing him would be the end of her, and she told him so. She was always immediately reassured that Robin wanted her, and if that meant giving up all of that other stuff then so be it, but the thought of letting him go, for his benefit, occasional returned when they discussed such matters._

 _"_ _Stop," Robin said, sitting up. Robin could always tell when Regina was over thinking,or worrying; she would remain silent and tap her little finger with her thumb._

 _"_ _Stop what?" Regina said, sitting facing him._

 _"_ _Thinking about 'letting me go'" he said, with air quotation marks around the 'letting me go' part._

 _"_ _How did y-"_

 _"_ _I know you, my love," he said smiling, before taking her hands in his. "For the millionth time Regina, yes i would love to be able to take you on an actual date, where other people can see us. I would love to be able to walk hand in hand with you down the street or to kiss you wherever and whenever i want. But I can't. Do i like it? No. But 'letting you go' was never an option. I love you more than i love any of that other stuff," he explained._

 _"_ _Y-You love me?" She said, with a grin spreading across her face. She knew he did already, but to hear him say it made her feel giddy and ridiculous but she didn't care. He made her happy, happier than she had been since Daniel, and she needed that happiness. Robin laughed at how happy she was and was glad to be the source of that elusive yet perfect smile. He leant his face towards her, placing their foreheads and noses together._

 _"_ _Did you really think otherwise?" he said, his own giddy smile spreading across his face. He kissed her forehead, and as he did s, he noticed that it was now getting dark. It was at least a half hour walk back to where he and Regina usually parted ways and he didn't want her walking home in the dark so he began to get up, but Regina grabbed his hand, imploring him to stay with her._

 _"_ _I.."_

 _"_ _Mmm?" he said, confused. She laughed at the confused look on his face and she realised that he didn't know; he didn't know that she needed him, he didn't know that he made her happier than she could ever really remember being, he didn't know that when she imagined her future, she was always with him. She took his face in her hands before kissing him on the head, then on his nose and then on his lips; with this, the image began to fade and the world went black again._


	5. Chapter 5

"Esme? Esme." She felt someone gently shaking her shoulder, and with that, she returned to the world. The voice was Henry's, Esme could tell, so she needed to wake up and be fine - she didn't want to give him another reason to worry. How was Robin? How long had she been unconscious. She could feel the arms of the chair surrounding her, and she felt Robin's hand was still in hers so she hoped she hadn't been out too long.

"Henry?" she said, slowly beginning to open her eyes. Her head felt a little fuzzy but it was nothing compared to what she felt like in the woods the first time she had her vision in this world, so she plastered a smile on her face and faked a yawn, hoping to pass it off to Henry as she fell asleep; when she looked at him, this seemed to be achieved.

"Hey. You sure you're okay to stay here? You seem pretty tired, sis," he said, sitting on the side of the chair with his arms around her. Esme placed her arms around him, rested her head on his chest and reassured him that she was fine, which he seemed to accept.

"Where's our little knight? I thought he'd be here in a flash!" Esme asked, looking around the room for a clock and feeling reassured that she had only been out for around a minute when she found one.

Henry laughed before continuing, "Will is bringing him now. He wanted to get a drawing he made for Robin but it was at home. What's happening with Robin?"

"I honestly dunno bud. The doctor said everything looks normal and he was awake for a minute or two but then his head hurt -"

"I…I'm aw..wake," said a very groggy Robin; Esme and Henry's attention was immediately focused on him.

"Hey? Hey!" Esme said, unquestionably excited to see that he was awake. Esme was holding Robin's left hand and Henry went to the other side to hold his right, offering him support and comfort they thought he would need desperately.

"How are you feeling?" Esme's main concern was that both Robin and Regina would keep waking up and then keep falling unconscious so if he was awake now, and staying awake, she needed to know how or why; maybe they could help Regina.

"I.. I feel fine," he said clearing his throat, well aware that his voice was making him sound weak. This wasn't fully true; physically he actually felt like he had been hit by a truck and emotionally, he was drowning in unanswered questions and felt the full spectrum of human emotion all at once.

"R..Regina. H..h..how is Regina? Put this bed up so that i can see her, please." Robin said slowly. He began to shuffle in the bed, but the drugs and weeks of lying down took their tole and he didn't get very far on his own. Henry raised his bed up so that Robin was in a sitting position while Esme fixed his pillows before joining Henry so that she wasn't in Robins way. Robin looked horrified and desperately sad; he gasped in shock at the sight of the strong woman he loved now confined to a hospital bed before he began crying.

"Robin?" Esme said, before sitting on the bed and wrapping her arms around him. He immediately gripped her arms, hoping to try and gain some strength from her, but he couldn't stop crying. He remembered Regina. He remembered this strong, beautiful, vibrant young woman but then he had a huge gap. He remembered how deeply he loved her and how desperately he wanted to protect her yet he didn't, he couldn't, not then and not now. After all these years, fate had bought them together again but instead of loving and cherishing her, he hurt her; the one thing he vowed never, ever to do. He couldn't protect her against the person who casts curse on them, he hurt her with Marion and Zelena and he couldn't protect her against her sister so now she is lying here in a hospital bed, weak and frail and he could do absolutely nothing. It should be him lying unconscious, not her; she would know what to do, she would know how to save him and their children - he didn't know what to do.

"Robin it's okay! She's gonna wake up really soon, just like you have-" Esme began, but Robin stopped listen. Here she was, his full grown daughter, comforting him when he should be comforting her. When the spell initially broke, he had all of these images flash at him all at once. The first was of Esme as a baby girl - a beautiful, tiny baby girl. She had a soft pink blanket wrapped around her with white, knitted hat on her head with a tiny little white bow. The next was an image of Regina holding her. They weren't in a hospital but the room looked warm, with a fire in the centre. Regina looked at Esme with utter adoration and her smile stretched the whole way across her face; like she was so happy, her smile could barely contain it. She rocked their daughter, kissed her tiny little nose and watched as her eyes began to flutter as she dreamt. The next was of Esme meeting Robin and Regina's friends. They were all squeezed into the same small room as the second image but Regina sat in a chair in the corner, smiling as she chatted and Robin waited on her, while Robin's 'merry men' cooed over their baby. It was after this wondrous image that Robin felt a piercing pain in his head; it felt like he was being stabbed again and again and again, with no break. and he slowly lost consciousness and the memory of his family. But that pain, didn't even compare to how he felt now. He was sobbing in the arms of a daughter who had gone through so much more than he ever wanted her to. She had told him about Messene when she was staying with them; how she was terrified when she discovered her powers, how she was hunted and used for possessing them and how she had been running for years. What kind of life was that? He had failed her entirely. He gradually began to stop sobbing, he had no energy left, and slowly placed his head back on the pillow in the bed. He took Esme's hand in his and looked at the scared, empathetic woman she now was and hoped to ease the pain he saw etched into eyes.

"I.. I remember you.." he said. Esme smiled and wiped away tears that had escaped her eyes and returned her hand to his. Henry smiled too, clearly glad Esme was finally getting a glimpse of the answers he knew she needed, and put his hand on her waist and the other on her shoulder.

"You do?" Esme asked, smiling so broadly, she reminded Robin of Regina.

"I..I do. You were a gorgeous baby. Perfect," he said slowly, trying to gain greater control over his voice while also trying to contain his emotions. He needed her to see that despite the spell and despite his absence in the past, he was here for her now and loved her with every bone in his body; he wiped the rest of the tears that had off of her cheeks. Now that he was talking, Esme was desperate to ask him all of the questions that had raced through her head these past few weeks, but he still looked frail. This was the first time he was awake, so he had to deal with things now without the comfort of knowing he will fall unconscious; she couldn't burden him further with her feelings and questions when he wasn't sure yet of his own. So the two sat and stared at each other, perfectly content to revel in the silence; Robin, happy to see the woman that baby had turned out to be, and Esme, thrilled to have a face to put on the person everyone called her dad.

"Daddy! Daddy!" interrupted Roland. Esme immediately bolted up and plastered a smile on her face. Tears were still prickling at her eyes so she immediately wrapped her arms around Henry, ensuring Roland didn't see her upset as she faced the wall. Henry held her tight, and only let her go when she told him she was fine; she was lucky he was a wonderful brother, she thought. When she turned around, Roland was squeezing Robin so tight, the poor man's face was going red. He tried to pretend he wasn't in pain but it was pretty obvious that he was so Henry told Roland to be a careful.

"But why? Daddy's better now." Roland asked innocently.

"He is buddy, but he still hurts a little," Henry explained but he needn't have bothered. Robin tickled and played with Roland almost the same as he always did, with the minor inclusion of a bed. Before long, Esme was playing referee to the game made up by Roland; basically, Henry and Roland hid under the bed and whenever they popped up, Robin was supposed to hit them on the head with a newspaper. This game went on for so long, that the lights went off in the hall, which Esme knew only happened after midnight.

"Okay buddies, i think we are gonna have to -" Esme said, fully aware that her brothers would not be co-operative.

"Nooooooooo! Please, sissy! Daddy ju-" Roland began.

"Sissy?" Robin interjected. Esme was a little stunned at his question. In all of the confusion and Roland's excitement, they hadn't actually talked. Not properly.

"Umm, yeah. I thought it would be best for Roland and Henry to know, at least the basics," Esme began, but she still saw that Robin was confused so she continued.

"I promise, i'll be back first thing in the morning and i'll explain everything but i should get them home. They have school in the morning." she said before kissing his head. He nodded and smiled at her before telling both Roland and Henry to 'Listen to your sister', which Esme couldn't help but smile at. Roland initially put up a little bit of a fight, and Henry wanted to wait for his mom but they eventually relented. They gave Robin a hug and a kiss and headed towards the door. Esme was about to join them when Robin grabbed her hand and stared at her.

"Thank you. Thank you for looking after my boys," he said, struggling to find what to thank her for.

"It's my pleasure. They're my brothers," she said, hoping that this reassured him a little. "Now get some rest, I'm sure you have a lot of quest-"

"I'm sure you do to. And i promise i'll answer any of them if i-" Robin began, desperate to show her he was sorry, that he loved her. Esme saw this and reassured him.

"Shhhhh," she said, squeezing his hand. "I know you will." With that she kissed his head and walked home.

They all remained pretty silent on the way home, all drained of energy now. Esme yawned and put and arm around each of her brothers, who both linked their arms around her back. Roland yawned too and asked for Esme to carry him, which Esme couldn't exactly refuse because it was around 5 hours after his bedtime. While Esme was carrying Roland, he fell asleep and so Esme took the opportunity to ask Henry why he was so quiet. She knew it was to do with his mom, and she completely understood, but she hoped talking to him would maybe help.

"Everything okay, squirt?"

"Yeah."

"You sure? It's just you seem kinda quiet."

"I'm good. Just tired."

"Okay," Esme said before continuing. "Listen buddy, we are gonna get Regina to wake up, okay? I promise," Esme explained. Henry looked at her and nodded but Esme was hoping he would smile.

"I would hug you but my arms are a little full" Esme joked, which made Henry laugh a little so Esme was content to walk the rest of the journey in silence, knowing that Henry was at least slightly reassured.

When they got home, Esme put Roland straight into his bed and Henry had a cup of tea waiting for her when she came downstairs.

"Thanks squirt!' she said, placing her arm around him and kissing his head.

"You're welcome. I know it helps you sleep."

"Wh- How do you know that?"

"Because i hear you boil the water at stupid o'clock in the morning," he said and laughed.

"Oh really? I'm sorry! In my defence, i have a lot on my mind," Esme laughed, nudging Henry's arm. "You should get some sleep now, buddy. Whether you like it or not, you are still going to school in the morning."

"Bu-"

"No buts Henry! Your mom would kill me if you got behind! I'll let you know if theres any changes, i promise." This seemed to appease Henry. "Okay, kiddo. Come on, i'll even tuck you in if you want," she teased, but Henry didn't smile.

"Umm..w- would you mind if i chilled down here with you tonight? I just don't really want to be by myself."

"Of course. We can sleep on the rug. Go grab your pillows and blankets - we can have our own little slumber party," Esme said, well aware that her brother needed her and if that meant sitting with him till he went to sleep, then thats what she would do. Henry smiled and ran upstairs, only to be followed down the stairs by four pillows, two blankets and Roland. Henry must have woken him up when he bounded upstairs and he, of course, wanted to join the slumber party; so he did. They made a huge bed on the rug, Roland slept to the right of Esme and Henry slept to the left and they all fell asleep readying the book that started it all.


	6. Chapter 6

Esme bolted herself awake at the sound of the fog horn alarm she had set for weekdays and her sudden movement also woke both of her brothers, who were sprawled across the pillow bed they had made in the lounge. Esme immediately stood up and trudged to the kitchen to get the boys their cereal and orange juice but the lounge saw no signs of life; the boys simply rolled over before falling back asleep. Esme looked over the counter into room where her brothers were fast asleep and simply laughed; they didn't actually go to sleep until around 2 o'clock in the morning, so getting them up at 6 to go to school was unlikely. Maybe a day off wouldn't be the worst thing? After-all, they would want to see Robin and, if she was honest, Esme wasn't particularly looking forward to coming home to an empty house after her long talk with him about what he remembered and where they stood. Yesterday, it all seemed so exciting, finally getting to talk about what he remembered; did he know who castle curse or why? But today, it all seemed scary; what if she didn't want to actually know the answers?

"Sissy?" Roland asked, rubbing his eyes and yawning as he shuffled into the kitchen. He immediately sat at the dining table which Esme took as a sign he was getting used to the routine she had worked hard to establish; she gave him breakfast then he had to go and get ready for school.

"Hey, my little knight! How are you this morning?" she said, as she set down his cereal and juice and kissed him on his head.

"Me and Henry don't have to go to school today, right?" he said, resting his head on Esme's arm as she reached to out his spoon down beside him.

"Haha! And why would that be?" Esme asked, freeing her arm from his grip before sitting down beside him at the table.

"Because you love us," Henry joked, putting his arms around her neck and squeezing her way too tight.

"Oh!" she said, tapping Henry's arms off her before laughing and telling him to grab his cereal and orange juice off the counter. "Well much as that may be true, that's not the reason I don't think you should go to school for the day."

"Wait, seriously? We don't have to go?" Henry said, quite clearly elated.

"Yeah seriously. I think you guys both need some down time. It's been a tough few weeks. So we are gonna go into town, get both of you a haircut (because you look like hippies), get some new clothes and then Snow and Charming are gonna take you to do whatever you want. Sound okay?"

"The hospital?" Henry asked.

"Umm…Once i'm finished talking with Robin then yes. I will come and get you and we will head to the hospital."

"Awesome! So what you wanna do with Grandma and Grandpa?" Henry asked Roland.

"Ummm the park!" Roland said and so began the discussion of their day. While they were talking, Esme began to tidy up the kitchen and lounge, she rang Snow and Charming and then told the boys to go get ready. When they went upstairs, she sat down, drank her coffee and wondered. She wondered about where they went from here. Once Robin and Regina were well enough, then what happened? Would they want her to stay? Would they pretend to be one big happy family or would she ruin the family they had already built for themselves? She was constantly worried about things these days, so she wasn't exactly annoyed that her thought process was ruined by the phone ringing but before she got the chance to answer it, Henry did.

"Hello? Umm, sure. Is everything okay? Is it my mom? Sure, here she is," he said to the man on the phone. He handed the phone to Esme and whispered "It's the hospital."

Esme took the phone and talked to the doctor.

"Hello?"

"Esmerelda? It's Doctor Whale here. We have some news regarding Regina."

"Oh? Okay..?"

"I'm afraid she has deteriorated."

"Deteriorated? Wh-what do you mean?" Esme said. She slowly began to walk away from Henry, hoping that he didn't hear, but he followed her, clearly concerned about his mom.

"She had an…episode in the early hours of this morning."

"What? Episode? What does that mean?"

"I'm afraid her head pain returned last night, with increased severity, and her recovery has been….. slower than we would like."

"Oh. Umm.. Well, what does all of this mean for her?" Esme said, smiling at Henry reassuringly even though her heart was beating so harshly, she thought it would beat out of her chest.

"It means… it means that if she doesn't wake up soon, she may not recover. At least not fully."

"I'm on my way," she said and she hung up the phone before Doctor Whale could say anything else that she didn't want to hear.

"What's happening?" Henry said. Esme looked at him, this scared little man, and she couldn't think of one word to comfort him. Not one. She was overwhelmed by this desire to protect him, protect him from the truth his mom could well stay the way she is for years but she also wanted to be honest with him. He was smart and mature and eloquent; she knew he could handle it but she didn't want him to have to.

"What's happening?" Henry asked.

"Umm, nothing. Roland! Come on, we're leaving now!" Esme shouted up the stairs, as she could hear him scurrying around upstairs.

"Ez, please," Henry implored, well aware that the phone call was not nothing.

"Henry, it was noth-"

'Don't lie to me! Okay? She's my mom!" Henry said, an awful lot sharper than he had intended. He didn't need protecting, he thought. What he needed was to help his mom and he couldn't do that if Esme was treating him like he was Roland's age. He saw the surprised look on Esme's face and felt guilty, he knew she was only trying to do what was right, but she needed to understand that he didn't want to be shielded; he wanted to be told the truth. However, apparently him losing his temper worked.

"Okay," Esme said, pointing for Henry to take a seat. Once she sat opposite him, she took his hand and began to explain.

"The doctor said that your mom had, what he called, an episode last night. Her head pain came back but it was worse this time an-"

"Worse? How?"

"I don't know, sweetie. But she didn't recover from this one as well as she usually does."

"Is she okay?"

"Doctor Whale said she has deteriorated. I don't know in which ways she has deteriorated but thats what i'm going to find out." With that, Esme stopped and looked at Henry, trying to assess whether or not he understood what was happening.

"So you don't want me to see her?" Henry asked, appearing a lot calmer than Esme thought he would be.

"Not right now no. I would like you and Roland to go on with the day as planned but you're right. She is your mom. It's up to you."

"I want to see her." Henry said definitively, which was exactly what Esme was worried about. She didn't know what to expect when she got to Regina, she had a lot to deal with with Robin and Robin was probably distraught to begin with; all of this was enough to deal with without trying to protect Henry. But she had asked him, and he told her what he wanted so that's what she had to do and she knew that, she just didn't like it. She and Henry dropped a very excited Roland off at the Charming's house and then headed to the hospital. On the way, Henry asked Esme what Robin remembered.

"Oh. Umm he said he remembers me as a baby. He said i was wrapped in a little pink blanket and-" But Esme stopped explaining. Somehow, this all felt odd.

"That's great! Does he know anything else?"

"No, I think his memories are coming back gradually instead of all at once."

"So what causes the pain?"

"I don't know squirt. The curse that was placed on them would have taken immense power, power I can't even comprehend."

"Why?"

"Because to make two people forget the people they love entirely is one thing, but to then erase their daughter from their memories is another. It may have caused actual, physical damage to their brain and reworking all of that may be the cause of the pain? I dunno, i'm new to the seer world," she joked. Henry laughed at her joke but turned solemn when the hospital came into view. Esme put her arm around his shoulder and kept it there until they walked in, unsure what they were walking in to. As they walked in, they saw Robin sat in a chair, holding Regina's hand to his mouth and memorising every inch of her face. Both Esme and Henry walked slowly and tentatively into the room in which Regina lay still, with the silence only interrupted by the beeping of the machines. Robin looked up at them and tried to stand up, but was too weak to complete the action.

"No, no sit down," Esme said, putting her hand on his shoulder, which he immediately took. Esme watched as Henry sat on the right hand side of the bed and looked with horror at the frail victim she now was; a look Esme wished she hadn't seen cross his face.

"How is she?" Esme asked quietly, hoping that Henry wouldn't hear.

"Her pain is worse and it's happening more often," Robin explained, returning her whisper.

"Why can't they do for her what they did for you?" Henry asked almost angrily, startling both Esme and Robin.

"Henry-" Esme said, standing up to comfort and confront him but he wasn't having any of it.

"Henry what?! Why is he awake and my mom isn't!" Henry fumed, although the moment he saw the hurt that crossed Robins face for a split second, he immediately felt awful.

"Robin i'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's fine. If it helps, I wish it was her that was awake too," Robin said, smiling at Henry and returning Regina's hand to his lips. Esme watched in shock at the confrontation; she saw that Robin genuinely wasn't angry but Henry was. He was trying to hide it but he was annoyed, and Esme couldn't blame him, so she wasn't surprised when he continued to ask questions.

"But seriously, how is it that you are up and awake and my mom isn't?"

"I don't know kiddo. The last thing I remember was having the head pain, seeing Regina and then I work up to Esme-"

"Wait…That's it!" Esme exclaimed, but her triumphant mood was dampened by the confused glares that she received from both Henry and Robin.

"I was holding your hand. When you started waking up, I was holding your hand and I… I think I saw what you saw an-"

"You what?" Henry asked, hoping she was going where he thought she was going with this conversation.

"The memory you had, it was of you and Regina in a meadow wasn't it?" Esme asked a very confused Robin.

"Wh- How could you possibly know that?" Robin said, with confusion and a little fear darting through his eyes.

"I told you, i saw it. I think i maybe channeled you." Esme explained.

"What? How?" Henry asked.

"I dunno really. Most witches channel things like the elements to gain more power, but i have heard of some that can channel people. If i somehow channelled you, because i'm a seer, as opposed to harnessing your power, i maybe harnessed your pain-"

"So dividing the pain between two people made it bearable and he woke up!" Henry said, so elated that Esme felt guilty; what if she was wrong and she had got his hopes up?

"Now Henry, i dunno if that actually happened or how i-"

"But there's a chance right?"

Esme paused before nodding and looked at Robin. He looked at Regina, then Henry and turned to Esme.

"Please try. What were you doing when you… channeled me?"

"That's the thing, i didn't mean to channel you and I was never taught how to do it, so i don't exactly know. I just really wanted to talk to you, and to do that, i needed you to wake up."

"Then do that," Robin said. Esme met the hope in his eyes with skepticism in hers but he gave her a pleading look, and after seeing the same look on Henry's face, she did as she was told.

Esme took Regina's hands in hers, closed her eyes and focussed. She focussed on all of the questions she wanted to ask. What did she first think of Esme when she saw her? What happened that made someone take her away? Who made her forget her baby? The hundreds of questions Esme wanted answered raced through her head before Esme realised she was sure Regina had some too. 'What kind of questions do you want to ask me?', Esme asked silently, as if Regina could hear her and so began her silent conversation with her mother. 'I promise i will answer them, you just need to wake up" she thought. 'Henry needs you, Regina. I need you. I'm struggling and i could really use your help. I need you to teach me magic, help me control it, develop it-' Esme said in her own head, hoping that Regina could somehow hear her. She continued this conversation until she felt her head go fuzzy. So fuzzy, she felt Robins hand's around her waist before she felt the sturdiness of the chair beneath her, and before long, she returned to the darkness that had engulfed her just one night ago.


	7. Chapter 7

_As Esme opened her eyes, much like the night before, the world slowly and gradually came into view. The sight that greeted her was a room, adorned with purple curtains, grey stoney walls and black decor. Esme watches, a bystander, as Regina slowly and quietly got up, ensuring not to make even the slightest of sounds, and headed straight to her mirror. She stood sideways and softly placed her hand on the little bump that was quickly developing, and was elated and terrified at its growth. It was becoming harder and harder to hide now and she knew that she had to leave. Robin noticed within weeks, and Regina couldn't help but smile at his reaction; he hugged Regina tightly, kissed her softly, placed his hand on her little belly and stooped down to talk to it._

 _"_ _You are going to be so loved, little one", he said, with a tear rolling down his face. That was a few weeks ago now and their meetings from then on were primarily used to discuss how and when leaving. Regina's mother had only one wish for her daughter and that was for her to marry a king. She wouldn't care how much Regina loved Robin, she wouldn't care about how much Regina already loved this little baby inside of her; she would gladly take them both away, just as she had Daniel. Regina used to feel sympathy for her mother; a lonely woman who was trying so desperately to live through her daughter, she was willing to literally kill anyone or anything that threatened her. But now that she had Robin and a baby, a family, to look after, she knew that she had to take them away from the threat her mother posed. Her desire to protect the two people she loved most in this world overwhelmed her sometimes; family dinners went from undesirable to unbearable, mother-daughter moments became stomach churning and father daughter moments became guilt ridden. She had grown to hate her mother and everything that she stood for, but she loved her father, and felt a huge wave of guilt rush over her every time he looked her in the eyes. It was his sad eyes she was thinking of now that she was preparing to leave, grabbing the basket of clothes she had made and leaving her childhood bedroom; she and Robin had agreed that he would meet her tonight and they would, hopefully, run off into the sunset without any motherly intervention._

 _Regina had tried leading her mother off the sent as much as possible in the weeks prior to tonight. Although she and Robin had been careful not to be seen anywhere, Regina was terrified her mother somehow saw them both and would stop them. The secrecy had almost tore them both apart in the beginning of their relationship. They met in the woods when Regina's horse bolted and he helped her. She remembered how he told her off, telling her to let him help her. From then on, the two met in those same woods three or four times a week; Regina said she was trying to break in a new horse and her mother seemed to believe her. Regina's insistence on keeping things a secret baffled Robin at first, but then it began to annoy him. He told her all his plans; a moonlit walk down the street of the town, a romantic horse ride and countless other things Regina desperately wanted but couldn't get. It was only when she saw the hurt in Robin's eyes when she turned down his offer of a romantic meal for a pathetic picnic in the woods that she decided to tell him about Daniel, and the very real threat her mother posed._

 _Now, as she made her way through the palace she had always called home, she thought back and tried to remember her mothers face. Had she believed her? Really believed her? Or would she come after them both just as she had with Daniel? She knew that she wouldn't feel content until she and Robin were safely away from here, so she was relieved when she finally made it to the huge front door without her mother or any of the guards seeing her. As she slowly opened it, her heart stopping with every squeak and screech, she heard a rustling from outside._

 _"_ _Regina?" a lour whisper said. Regina could see the figure of a man with a bow and arrow, unmistakably Robin, and her heart filled with joy; she was almost there._

 _"_ _Shhhh!" Regina said, slowly closing the door behind her before running to him._

 _"_ _You…. suck…. at…. this….!" she said in between kissing Robin. Robin simply laughed and ran his fingers through her hair._

 _"_ _I'm afraid i don't have an awful lot of practice at kidnapping pregnant women!" he joked, still holding her close to him._

 _"_ _It's not kidnap if they go willingly," Regina teased, kissing him back with just as much passion, which he enjoyed for a few moments until he initially pulled away._

 _"_ _Well, lovely as this is, i want to get you," he said kissing Regina's lips, "and you," kissing Regina's belly, "out of here as fast as possible," he said looking her in the eyes adoringly. She loved that look; the look that made her feel like they were the only two people in the world. She gazed back at him, with just as much love in her eyes and kissed him in response._

 _Robin took her hand and the two walked for miles before finally venturing into Robin's territory; the woods. He began to try and set a fire, but he couldn't quite get it to light which Regina couldn't help but laugh at._

 _"_ _You know i could help you with that, right?" Regina giggled, putting her arms around his chest and kissing the back of his neck._

 _"_ _No, no. I can get it," he said, with as much concentration on his face as a child putting together a puzzle. That was until a spark eventually caught, which meant his face filled with elation. Suddenly exhausted, Regina immediately lay down next to the fire he made. She was beginning to dose off when she felt him lay behind her, cuddling up to her, with one arm supporting her neck and the other rubbing her belly, and in that moment, she was the happiest she had ever been as she slowly began to fall asleep._

 _It felt like she was only asleep for a few moments when she heard Robin shouting something she couldn't quite make out. She couldn't see him, but she could hear in his voice that whatever was making him so angry was dangerous. She sat up silently and slowly began to walk towards the noises, hoping to somehow help Robin with whatever situation he was in, but when she heard who he was shouting at, she couldn't move. It felt like her feet were cement and she didn't have the strength to lift them._

 _"_ _HA! You think you can provide for my daughter as well as a baby?" a very smug Cora spat._

 _"_ _Of course i can! Listen, I love your daught-"_

 _"_ _Are you really that naive?" Cora said, looking at Robin like he was an idiot. "Love isn't enough! Maybe for now, but when the baby grows up and needs food, clothing, books, pens-"_

 _"_ _We'll manage."_

 _"_ _No you won't. But if you accept my offer, you can lead a comfortable life. You can buy that drinking hole you ranted on about and Regina-"_

 _"_ _Will be raising our child alone, thinking that i don't love her. I'm sorry, but I will never let that happen."_

 _"_ _Where is my daughter?" Cora said, with venom seeping into every word._

 _"_ _Lost our diplomatic front have we?" Robin taunted._

 _"_ _Tell me where she is, or i'll"_

 _"_ _Or you'll what? Rip my heart out? Go ahead. I would rather die than ever let you near her again."_

 _"_ _That can be arranged," Cora replied, with a vindictive smile cracking along her face. Regina couldn't listen to this anymore and immediately ran towards them both, and she was immensely glad that she did as her mother was forming a hot, green fireball and aiming it directly at Robin._

 _"_ _No! Mother leave him alone!" Regina screamed, begin the universe to spare Robin._

 _"_ _Ahh and here she is. My beloved traitor." Cora was glaring at her in a way no mother should look at her child; with hate in her eyes. She began to walk towards Regina and as she did so, all hell broke lose. Robin immediately aimed an arrow at Cora the second she made her move towards Regina, who responded with a very prompt fireball. Regina lumped and grabbed her arm, preventing her form hurting Robin, but it resulted in the ball of death crashing into a branch just above Esme. The branch crunched and creeped before finally beginning to fall, and Regina immediately felt someone shove her. She fell, hard, onto the ground and felt an acute pain in her stomach so intense she could hardly breathe. Regina desperately grabbed her stomach, terrified she was losing the baby she and Robin longed for, and suddenly she saw Robin; he was lying on the ground, trapped by the fallen branch with blood trickling down his head. Cora looked shocked at the events that had unfolded and looked horrified that her daughter was in such pain but Regina didn't care. The pain was almost unbearable, and Robin looked like he was going to die, if he wasn't dead already and it was all Cora's fault._

 _"_ _My baby! What have you done!" Regina said, but the pain was excruciating and all she could do was scream in agony as he mother poofed out of the woods._


	8. Chapter 8

Esme woke up a lot quicker than before, this time with a startle, as if she had just had a nightmare. Henry looked worriedly at Esme and Robin was knelt down beside her, holding her hand, but Esme's main concern was Regina; when she woke up from her vision with Robin, he was beginning to wake and and she hoped Regina would do the same.

"Are you okay?" Robin said, holding her head in his hands once he steadied himself on the chair as he got up.

"Yeah, yeah i'm fine, don't worry," Esme said, placing her hands on top of his, hoping to reassure him that she was fine, which she was - albeit slightly confused and dizzy. Her attention soon returned to Regina, who hadn't even stirred. The poor woman; Esme was haunted by the image she had just seen so how on earth must Regina feel!

"No change?" she asked, not taking her eyes off Regina, just incase she missed anything at all.

"Not yet," Henry said hopefully, doing the same. Esme was saddened by the look on Henry's face; she had given him hope and now he was wishing for something that may or may not even work. Henry caught Esme staring at him and he extended his hand which Esme took.

"You sure you're okay?" He asked, clearly concerned, which made Esme feel even worse; he had enough to worry about, without her adding to it.

"Yeah of course, it actually wasn't as bad this time," she said smiling, hoping to reassure Henry but the expression on his face showed that hadn't exactly worked; it probably came across as manic.

"You should be resting!" Esme said, turning to Robin, who was propped on the arm of the chair looking very uncomfortable. When she saw him struggling to keep his balance, she immediately stood up, and offered him her chair, however she wished she hadn't because the second she stood up, the room began spinning and Esme only option was to flop onto the bed and hope Henry and Robin believed she simply sat on it. Robin sat down on the chair but took both of her hands in his and Henry raced over and sat beside her on the bed to support her, and she realised her fall didn't look as graceful as she intended.

"Really, i'm fine," Esme said, placing her head on Henry's which was on her shoulder. She looked at Robin and felt a weird, warm feeling wash over her by the concern that was etched into his face; she knew a lot of that was due to Regina and the pain he was in, but she desperately wanted to believe that some of that concern was for her. It was moments like these that kept Esme awake at night because she was so, immensely confused. Regina and Robin, and even Henry and Roland, were strangers just a matter of months ago and now they were her family; a family she didn't even know she wanted. It wasn't as if she longed for a family - in Messene they rarely crossed her mind because searching for them was never really a possibility - but now that she had them, she wanted desperately to cling onto them, even though she wasn't entirely sure how to act, or what to do. She didn't look at Regina and Robin and think 'mom and dad' but she didn't see them as strangers either, and felt a kind of loyalty to them she didn't feel towards anyone else; it was all a very strange situation. Her thoughts were interrupted by a little groan from Regina. All three of them jumped and watched but the groan was all that happened and Esme couldn't help but feel guilty. It was her that had made an extravagant declaration about being able to wake up Regina when she should have at least tried to protect them from the pain of this; she had got their hopes up and couldn't deliver what she had told them she could.

"I'm so sorry," she said, as she got one of her hands out of Robin's grasp and placed it on his cheek before kissing the top of Henry's head which was still on her shoulder.

"Don't be silly, it's not your fault. She's stubborn, i'm afraid," Robin said, attempting to joke but his face contradicted his humorous intentions.

"Ha! Like mother, like daughter," Henry joked, nudging Esme's shoulder with his. This did make Esme laugh because this wasn't the first time someone had compared the two; Granny always said Esme was a nicer version of Regina, Henry always talked about how Esme 'acted' like Regina (whatever that meant) and Robin used to say the two were like two peas in a pod. At the beginning of her time there, Esme couldn't really understand the comparison but now that she knew Regina and herself better, she could see why people compared them; looks wise, they both had dark, brown hair and brown eyes but it was their personality similarities that astounded Esme. She had always thought that daughters who were like their mothers were so because they were raised by them - they copied their mothers, in a way - but this didn't hold true when it came to Regina and Esme. Now that Esme knew her better, she realised that she took her loyalty, her stubbornness and emotions from her mother; ironically someone she hadn't met until a few months ago. Indeed all of this didn't exactly help Esme's confusion but it was nice; nice to have other people to think of, to worry about and to care about - she was used to being all alone.

"What did you see?" Robin asked after a few moments of giggling, bringing to the room a more serious tone. Esme wasn't quite sure exactly what to tell him; not wanting to lie to him but also wanting to shield him from the memory. Robin picked up on her hesitation, not that she was particularly subtle, and explained why he needed to know.

"I just want to know if we have the same memory," Robin explained. "Please, there's a whole lifetime i don't even remember so i don't care if it's bad; you're here, Regina is here and the boys are here and thats all i care about."

"Okay… you sure?"

"I'm sure." Robin was definite in his answer and so Esme explained to her what she saw but she immediately regretted it when she saw the worry in Robins face.

"And then what?" Robin asked, with an expression on his face that Esme couldn't quite place.

"Nothing. That's where the vision ended," Esme explained. Robin still look horrified and was clutching Regina's hand like his life depended on it.

"Oh darling i am so, so sorry," he said, talking to Regina. He was stroking her face and kissing her hand and profusely apologising for something which confused both Henry and Esme.

"Robin it's okay. They are both fine," Henry said, rubbing his arm.

"No Henry, they aren't." This statement was met with puzzled expressions from both Henry and Esme but he looked so devastated that they didn't want to push him any further, so they waited for him to talk about it further; he looked as if he wanted to cry, but didn't have the tears or the energy to do so.

"I remember that night…. It wasn't Esme that she was pregnant with," Robin said, still grasping Regina's hand and stroking her arm. "When she fell… it induced early labour…. she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy that night…. He was perfect, but he was so tiny… too tiny.. and.. and …. he didn't cry and we just knew…." he struggled, now trying desperately hard not to cry but it made no difference because the second he turned to look at Esme and Henry, both had tears falling down there cheeks so he too began to cry. It physically pained him, in his gut, to relive the pain of that horrible ordeal again and it hurt him to think Regina was going through it all alone.

"Sh.. She was so brave… I.. was hit by the tree and..and when I woke up she was screaming my name….I went to her and he arrived in minutes.… I remember she just held him as she cried…. he didn't make a sound or move…. I couldn't do anything," Robin struggled. He kept wiping his eyes but Esme couldn't understand why because she was hiding her face behind her hands and Henry was wiping his eyes too; how much did these poor people have to go through, Esme thought. After a few moments of silently hugging Robin and holding Regina's hand as their tears fell, Henry and Esme let him continue.

"You shouldn't have to remember our son dying, not alone, m'love," Robin said, now talking directly to Regina. He caressed her cheeks with the back of his finger with one hand and held her right hand in his left. "Please wake up, I … I really.. need you now Regina," he said, holding her hand to his cheek. Esme put her arms around Robin's shoulders and Henry did the same, hoping to comfort him.

"Robin?" Henry asked.

"Yes mate?" Robin answered.

"What was his name? Our brother?" Henry asked. Esme was shocked he had asked it, not because it was an odd question but because of the timing. Esme couldn't quite deny that she too wanted to know what his name was, he was their brother after all, but Robin looked ill. He looked exhausted, his skin was grey, his hair was dishevelled and he simply looked weak; so the timing of this question perhaps wasn't ideal. The question seemed to knock him and he stuttered for a second or two but he didn't have to actually answer.

"H-Henry… Robin… Hood," Regina croaked.


	9. Chapter 9

Robin's face changed immediately, changing from utter despair to beaming with happiness, and Henry left Esme's side and went to his mother, kissing her head and hugging her tightly. Esme was delighted to see the two of them so happy, and she was excited to see Regina was awake, but she was also nervous in some sense; she hadn't spoken to Robin properly since he woke up, not really, and now that Regina was awake, it seemed a little overwhelming. Nevertheless, she was excited to see Regina awake and talking, and she was delighted that it was, at the very least, one less thing for Robin and Henry to worry about.

"Regina? Regina, how.. how are you?" Robin said, holding her face in his hands and kissing her.

"Well she can't exactly answer if you keep.. ya know… kissing her," Henry said, looking quite disgusted which both Esme and Regina found funny as they both let out a little giggle. Robin, however, did not find it funny and was still worried so when Regina laughed, Robin was concerned that it was a noise of pain as opposed to joy; everyone could see the concern etched into his face;

"I…I'm okay…" Regina said, holding both Henry and Robins hand and talking slowly and quietly. Esme sat at the end of the bed and watched as Regina gazed at two of her boys and couldn't help but feel like she was intruding. She didn't want to seem pessimistic, or make any of them feel like they shouldn't be happy, but she also couldn't help the fact that she just felt uncomfortable. She knew how she was supposed to feel but she just didn't; instead of being happy and excited, she was nervous and worried. She really hoped that one day, Regina would look at her the way she looked at Henry - Esme understood that the woman had built a lot of walls and it would take a while to break them down - but that wasn't going to be today, not when she had so much to catch up on with Robin and Henry and Esme didn't want to take that chance away from her. She and Robin had to mourn the death of a son, she and Henry had 7 weeks of life to catch up on and Esme just didn't really factor into that.

"Ummm… how about I go and get Roland?" Esme said, standing up slowly and using the end of the bed to steady herself. She hated this woozy, nauseous feeling. It was the thing that stopped her practicing her visions back in Messene; she needed to remain strong incase an opportunity to escape came up and this wooziness did not go hand in hand with that.

"No!" Regina said, much more emphatic than Esme thought she was even capable of being, under the circumstances. Esme stopped walking and looked at Regina, who's gaze was now firmly on her, before walking back to her original spot and sitting down at the bottom of Regina's bed. Regina stretched out her hand and Esme looked at for a second before taking it. Robin watched with pride and joy that his two girls were together again, the way they should have been from the beginning. He saw the joy in Regina's face but also saw that she felt the same way he did; worried. Worried Esme wouldn't understand what had happened, and how could she? She was magic, so he knew she understood that it was a spell that did this to them but could she forgive them? She had grown up in a war land because her parents had sent her through a portal, so could she really believe that any sort of magic could rip apart the bond nature created between parents and their baby? Robin hoped that she could, but he saw that she was struggling right now as she held Regina's hand and he new that the bond they felt with her was not reciprocated and that it would take time for her to grow to love them both. Robin knew by the way Regina was looking at their little girl, her eyes glistening, that she somehow realised this too, and although it must have devastated her, it just meant it would take longer than they wanted to hug her, or hold her, or teach her everything that they wanted to.

"Umm why don't you two go home and get some rest?" Robin said, running his fingers through his hair in a bid to make himself feel less exhausted. He watched as Esme immediately got up and went straight to Henry and, although he wanted to feel happy that she was so close to her brother, he was devastated slightly. He knew she was trying to take all of this in her stride, and he understood this wasn't an easy situation for her, but he wanted her to need them as much as they needed her and right now, she just didn't. Henry noticed Esme's haste to leave and took her hand, a gesture Regina noticed and smiled at even though her heart was broken at the sight of her daughter desperate to leave. Regina didn't blame her, not at all, but this wasn't how she wanted their reunion to go. Henry kissed Regina and told her how much she loved her before hugging Robin and walking towards the door. Esme hugged Robin quite comfortably but hugging Regina felt more awkward. Esme had always had a bond with Robin so being affectionate with him didn't feel awkward but with Regina, it felt like hugging a distant relative at a wedding; you knew you were supposed to because they were family but you didn't necessarily know them well enough to really love them. They had always had a mutual respect for one another and Esme undoubtedly enjoy Regina's company, but their interactions were usually work related and Esme always felt that she was a means to an end; Regina was training Esme so that she could compel Zelena and that was really where their interactions end. Nevertheless, hug Regina she did and both Esme and Henry left, hand in hand as brother and sister.

Robin watched them leave while Regina slowly broke down as the door closed and his heart broke so all he would so was lie on the bed beside her and hold her as she cried.

"Regina, it's okay-" Robin began but she gripped his arm and wailed.

"She hates me! My own daughter hates me" Regina exclaimed between gasps for air.

"Hate y- She doesn't hate you!" Robin said, exasperated at what she felt. "She just doesn't know yo - us!"

"She… she hugged you. She hugged you and she couldn't hug me," Regina said, clearly struggling following their awkward encounter with their daughter.

"It's just going to take time, my love. But we have it and we will make this right again, okay? I promise," Robin said, holding Regina's face in his, imploring her to see the candour in his eyes. Although this seemed to ease her pain slightly, she lay with her head on his chest and gripped his sleeve, as if she was worried he was going to leave.

"How are you feeling?" she asked Robin, looking for any sign of pain in his face.

"I'm fine, my darling. I'm absolutely fine, don't worry," he said as he kissed the top of her head. This gesture, however, caused Regina to wince; something she tried to hide but failed. Robin looked at her, concerned, and realised what a fool he had been. Yes, of course the memory loss and emotional pain of their past would take a great deal of time to heal, but in the process of worrying about this emotional pain, he forgot about the physical pain she was in; she had battled with her sister and Emma and almost died and that would take more than 7 weeks to heal.

"You are my concern. How are you?" Robin asked.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Regina soothed, keeping her head on his chest and running her hand across his cheek.

"For a minute back then, i thought you were dea-"

"I know. But i'm fine. We are fine," she said, and kissed him, softly and gently on his smooth, dry lips. Robin sighed, then smiled and settled himself into the bed with the love of his life and remarkably felt content.

"What are we gonna do? About Esme?" Regina asked after a few moments silence.

"Honestly? I don't know. But what i do know is that we will deal with this together, the way it should always have been," Robin said with intent and a tinge of anger behind every word. He knew that Regina was hurting, and he completely understood why, but he felt angry. Angry that someone had not only taken away the love of his life, but their daughter. Angry that someone had taken away them seeing their little girl walk for the first time, talk for the first time, protect her, love her, teach her. Regina was an amazing mother, and had already lost a son, and Robin was furious that he not only failed to protect her from losing another child but also that he couldn't remember the person that put her through yet more heartache.

"Hmmmm," Regina sighed, quite content in the arms of Robin.

Robin laughed slightly. "What was that for?" he asked, running his hand through her hair, stroking her face.

"Just thinking."

"About what?"

"How different our lives would have been without this curse. How different her life would have been."

"Regina-"

"No, I know. There was nothing we could do, blah, blah, blah but just think about it. We could be married, maybe have more kids, you wouldn't have met Zelena and we-"

"I know, my darling, believe me I know. But we wouldn't have our amazing boys, we maybe wouldn't be as strong as we are now-"

"Strong?" Regina said with a slight laugh. "Robin we fall at every hurdle we come to!"

Robin was slightly offended and he didn't hide it very well. Although he understood why she felt the way she did, he had always thought that Regina understood why he left, why everthing happened with Marion or, at the very least, that she forgave him, but clearly she didn't. Hurt though he was, he realised that if she didn't already understand, he needed to make her see how he felt.

"Fall? Regina we overcome every hurdle. Look at where we are now! We have overcome everything that's been thrown at us and we are together, and that is exactly the way it is going to stay. Okay? I will never, ever leave you again, I swear," Robin promised, holding her face in his hands and imploring her to look at him.

"Good, because i need you Robin, okay?" Regina said, placing her hands over his, wishing he never had to let go.

"No my love, you don't. Look at what you achieved when i was in New York. You are a saviour, without me, Regina. I'm simply an idiot without you."

"You're not an idiot-"

"We are in this situation because of me, my love. So you see, you do not need me. It is I that needs you," he said, and kissed the top of her head again, gently this time so that he didn't hurt her any further.

"I'm a saviour because of you Robin," she began, shutting down Robins attempt to refute her claim. "Without your faith in me, i would have lost my son and remained that villain that i was. You reminded me how to love Robin, and it's that love that makes me this 'saviour' you're talking about. If you were to leave-"

"I won't. Regina i swear to you, i will never leave you again. I couldn't; I love you far too much," he said and Regina immediately looked at him. The eyes that had once hosted a forlorn, haunted look, were now the home of happiness, even though they were glistening with tears.

"Y-You-"

"I do. I know i haven't shown it lately but i do, with every bone in my body," he promised her as she held his hand tightly, and Robin grinned as a smile slowly spread across her face.

"I.." Regina began but she stopped even though Robin continued looking at her, hoping to hear the words he desperately wanted to hear. He held her face in his hands and continued to gaze into the eyes he loved and remained in silence.

"I… I love you too, Robin" Regina said, so quickly Robin almost couldn't make it out. But he did, and he smiled as he heard the words flow through the mouth he was so desperate to kiss.

"You do?" Robin said, smiling.

"I do," Regina said, but before she could continue, Robin's lips met hers. His hands were holding her and his lips felt soft and moist against hers and, in that moment, she was happy. She returned his gentle kisses gladly.


	10. Chapter 10

By the time Henry and Esme left the hospital, the sky was pitch black and glistening with the silver stars of the night. Esme kept hold of Henry's hand while they walked, as she still felt a little dizzy when she looked up or around, and he was the ultimate gentleman; continually asking her if she was okay or did she want to rest.

"Buddy, i'm fine. Just a little dizzy that's all," she said, as she put her arm around him, mostly to comfort him but slightly to balance herself.

"I'm sorry we made you do that. I didn't know it would make you-"

"Make me? You didn't make me do anything squirt, okay? I wanted to help Regina and that was the only way. And i promise, it's nothing a sleep wont solve,"

"Which brings me to our next problem, you can't sleep on that couch for the rest of your life. Why don't you take the spare bedroom and Roland can stay with me?"

"Oh, thank you honey but that room is Roland's, and you only have one bed in your room!" Esme laughed, pushing his head playfully.

"We can make a pillow bed or something. But that isn't really the problem is it?" Henry asked ominously.

"What are you talking about?" Esme laughed. She knew exactly what Henry was talking about and where he was going with this conversation and, although she knew she needed to tell him the truth at some stage, she neither wanted nor expected to do that tonight.

"You know what. How are you with, you know, everything?"

"I've told you, little brother, that i'm fine," Esme joked, putting Henry in a joke headlock.

"And i'm telling you, big sister, that i know you're not," he said, poking Esme jokingly in the the ribs which he knew she hated.

"Is it mom? Robin? Me? Roland? What is it? Because i know it's something, Ez," he asked. Esme removed her arm from his shoulder and started picking at her nails, the same thing Henry's mom did when she was uncomfortable. "Ez, i know you're trying to protect me but you don't have to. I can't imagine how hard this must be for you-"

"Henry, i don't know what you want me to say! It's not you or Roland, I promise. I just…. I just don't know how to be a daughter…i guess. I don't know what to say or how to act with them and i feel so guilty. Did you see them today? Regina actually looked like i stabbed her when i said i could leave and its just weird to me, that i have that power to crush them because they actually care.."

"I'm sure it's weird for them too, sis. Are you angry with them?"

"No! No, not with them. I'm angry at the situation, yeah, but not with them. Especially after baby Henry- i just don't know why someone would put them through so much-" Esme began but she stopped mid sentence. She felt Henry tense up when she mentioned their baby brother that Regina and Robin had lost and she wondered why. She didn't want to push him, so instead she took his hand again, and allowed him to explain to her how he was feeling by himself.

"Do you…. do you think mom remembered on some level about baby Henry? And that's why she named me Henry?"

"I honestly don't know squirt. Henry was her father's name right?" Esme asked, to which Henry nodded. "I think that's the reason she named both of you Henry. She loved her father because he was a good, kind man and maybe naming you and baby Henry that was a symbol of the kind of man she would raise you to become,"

"I.. I never thought of it like that.."

"You weren't a replacement, Henry. Trust me, your mother worships the ground you walk on because she loves you, not because she wanted you to replace him," Esme said, kissing the top of Henry's head.

"Thank you. You know they love you, right? We all do," he said.

Esme looked at him and smiled because it was typical Henry; he was the first person that she spoke to here and even then he comforted her. She kissed the top of his head and continued to walk towards the forrest to get Roland.

"Look at you being all affectionate!" Henry joked.

Esme laughed, "I know! You boys have changed me i guess!" she joked and in response, Henry ruffled her hair. Esme then chased him down the street to get him and it turned into a playful game Esme greatly needed and enjoyed. That was until they heard a fracas in the main town square and the two immediately ran towards the noises.

When they arrived, they met the Charmings and Will.

"Where is Roland?!" Esme said, her heart sinking to the bottom of her stomach.

"She has him! I couldn't st-"

"Who has him?!" Esme screamed, trying to ensure Will heard her above all of the running and cracking noise.

"The Dark O-" Will began.

"Emma!" Snow corrected. Esme knew that she was struggling to come to terms with her daughter slowly becoming the darkest being in all of the land, but right now, that daughter was a threat to her brother so she was no longer Emma, she as the dark one in Esme's eyes.

"And why the hell does The Dark- Emma have my brother?" she asked, confused as to why Roland had anything to do with Emma. She had isolated herself in the forrest for the past few weeks, probably worried about the danger she posed to everyone else, and she only tried contacting Henry once or twice in the past few weeks. In hindsight, that was probably a sign she was gaining confidence but Esme just assumed that she missed her son and so she allowed Henry to go see his mom if, and only if, she came too.

"She wants to see Henry," Snow said, not even looking at Esme. When Esme turned to see what she was looking at, she slowly began to shake with anger. Emma was holding Roland with one hand, and shattering windows or cause lightening bolts to clatter down from the sky with the other; she was putting a seven year old in danger to make a point that she could. Esme turned to Henry, who was just as horrified at the sight of his mother putting little Roland in such danger, and told him to stay put. She knew that he wouldn't listen but she began running towards Emma when Charming grabbed Henry.

"Stay there Henry!" Esme shouted as she ran through the terrified crowd towards Emma. She felt a pair of hands grab her waist and was forced to stop.

"Wh-" Esme began but she stopped when she saw who it was. Granny was holding her waist and looking at her as if she was a lamb running to slaughter.

"You be careful now, you hear?" Granny said, upset that Esme was putting herself in a potentially dangerous situation and Esme forgot how much she missed her. Ever since the accident, Esme could only work a couple of shifts in the diner a week and had to move out of her room in the hotel, so she went from seeing Granny every day to one or twice a week. Although she had this hard exterior, Granny was a sweetheart; she cooked Esme huge pots of food for her and the boys to eat, she would help Esme with the housework in Regina's house, she gave Esme some of her granddaughter Ruby's old clothes. Slowly, the two formed a friendship that transcended any age barrier and the two of them looked after one another, like family.

"I will. Now go, be safe!" Esme stated, kissing her on the cheek and then running towards Roland. When he saw her, he screamed her name and there was nothing in the world Esme wanted to do more than to run to him, throw Emma through the tower and take him home but she had to remember that this was Henry's mom and he was watching.

"Esme!" Roland squealed as Emma shattered one of Granny's windows in the diner, which incensed Esme further.

"It's okay little man!" Esme shouted. "Leave him alone, Emma!"

"I believe Snow told you what i want," Emma said, far too calmly, as she forced a lightening bolt to crash to the ground around a meter away from Esme. Esme jumped out of the way and heard Henry call her name but she had to remain focussed on Emma, who was worryingly volatile.

"She did, but do you really think that kidnapping Roland is going to get you access to Henry? I'm afraid i don't speak crazy person," Esme shouted.

"He's my son!" Emma squealed, scaring Esme and terrifying little Roland, so much so that he began to cry.

"And he's my brother!"

"For all of five minutes!"

"Be that as it may, he is safer with me," Esme said as calmly as possible under the circumstance, trying to diffuse the situation so that Roland wasn't absolutely traumatised.

"I'm his mother, he is safer with me!"

"Is he!? Look around you! Look at how terrified Roland is!" Esme said, hoping the sight of a terrified little boy would prompt the human Emma to come through, just long enough for Roland to get away from her grip. But this failed, and as Emma looked at his wet little face, a villainous smile spread across her face and Esme realised that diplomacy wasn't going to work.

"I wonder how you're daddy would feel knowing that you let his cute little son die!" Emma taunted. "Do you think he could forgive you? I mean, he's already gave you up once-"

"That's not going to work, Emma," Esme calmly tried to explain, slowly walking closer to them both.

"Ohhhh? Truth hurt?" Emma cooed, still smirking.

"Lets not forget you gave up Henry, Emma, so lets not play the abandoned baby card," Esme retaliated. She realised this wasn't the best idea, but she couldn't let her slander Regina and Robin, not after everything they had done for her; although she wasn't expecting what happened next. Emma pushed Roland aside and hurled fireball after fireball straight at Esme. Although Regina had taught her how to deflect them, it was enough to put Esme on edge and she realised that she would have to show this version of Emma that she meant business. Roland was crouched down on the ground, too terrified to move incase Emma hurt him, and Esme realised she needed to get him and everyone else, away from Emma and fast. While she dodged the fireballs and giant cracks of lightening, Esme tried to formulate a plan, the main objective of which was to get to Roland.

"I want Henry!" Emma said, sending one huge gust of black smoke at Esme, who her hands up in defence and closed her eyes. Regina had taught her to visualise what she wanted but she had never been able to; until now. The fear must have jump started her survival instincts and so, as she slowly opened her eyes, she saw her hands had created a clear, glistening shield, which the smoke cascaded off in a wonderful display of twists and swirls.

"Well you can't have him!" Esme shouted, moving towards Roland, who looked so tiny and vulnerable with glass shattered all around him and flashes of lightening illuminating him. He saw her when she was mere feet away, and as she lowered one of her hands to reach for him, he ran immediately towards her behind the safety of her shield. The sight of her leverage in safety seemed to incense Emma further and she missed Esme and Roland with a thunder bolt by mere inches, but then she stopped; stopped the fireballs, stopped shouting, stopped everything. Esme paused for a second, not taking her eyes off Emma, waiting for something else to happen but it didn't and whenever she turned around, she understood why. Henry was in the centre of a circle created by what looked like every single resident of Storybrooke. They were protecting him, and not just with their bodies; they had potions, bows and swords all aimed at The Dark One. The sight of the entire town protecting her brother warmed her heart, but it wasn't quite enough to reassure her that Roland was safe; Emma looked like she was calculating her next move, not contemplating defeat entirely. Esme lifted Roland and held his head as he buried it into her neck before she slowly began backing towards the town people. She was almost there, around 10 meters away, when a vile, terrifying smile spread across Emma's face and Esme could do nothing but crouch down to Roland and tell him to run. She turned around for a split second, to see Granny holding her arms open for Roland to run into, when she felt herself being pulled and thrown. Her back whacked against the gutter of one of the buildings and she fell to the ground, the force of which caused a searing pain to race up her legs, and she was stunned into stillness. Emma walked slowly and confidently up to her, her black coat billowing and her hair that was now scraped up into a bun glistening, and whispered to her.

"If you won't give me my son, i'll take him," she gloated. She then kicked Esme hard in the stomach and began walking to the town people, who looked terrified. Esme felt such pain, it was like she couldn't move, but she knew that if she didn't people were going to die, possibly her brothers. The whole situation was a painful rreminder of when Zoe came to one of the towns Esme had found refuge in; she slaughtered the woman who had helped her, in her own home, while Esme hid in her basement, too paralysed with fear to do anything. She had lived with that image for 4 years now - it haunted her - but she wasn't that person anymore. Back then, she had only herself to think of, she could barely use her seer powers let alone any witchcraft and she thought she was running for her freedom. Now, she had a family she wanted to actually get to know, she had powers she could actually use to protect people and she was stronger. She couldn't let Emma hurt any of the people in that crowd, especially not Henry or Roland, so she forced herself to her feet - which hurt but not like something was broken. She steadied herself on one of the pillars that Emma hadn't blown up in her rampage and watched as Emma pranced slowly towards the crowd, like a lioness hunting her pray, and Esme was filled with anger.

"Actually, you won't," Esme shouted, hoping to distract her long enough so that she could think of one of the spells Regina had taught her. This wasn't like last time with Zelena, when Esme could channel Regina's power; she had only herself and her power to use. Emma turned around and laughed but Esme's ball of white light was already on its way to her and it hit her hard in the gut. Esme was prepared for a full on battle, completely aware that the spell she cast wasn't going to stop Emma for long, but she wasn't quite expecting what happened next. The spell had caused Emma to fall onto her butt, but as she slowly got up, she looked around and Esme had a feeling that the real Emma had returned. She looked at Esme, saw the cuts she had and the limp she was walking with and covered her mouth.

"Oh.. I'm… I'm so sorry.." Emma said, walking slowly towards Esme, but Esme backed away. Esme saw the hurt in Emma's face, but she didn't trust the woman who had thrown her into a building mere seconds ago, and she really just wanted out of this situation.

"You need to stay away, Emma. This isn't safe, okay? Not for anyone, especially not Henry," Esme began to explain, returning to diplomatic means. "Why don't you let us put you in the town penitentiary? That way we can keep you and everyone else safe until we find Mer-" But before Esme could finish, Emma poofed herself away and she vanished into the night sky Esme had admired mere minuted ago.

Esme turned around and Granny was already behind her, putting Esme's arm around her shoulder so that she could provide her some support walking, but it was useless; seconds later both Henry and Roland came running to her and almost knocked the two of them over. Esme hugged them both tight, and they her.

"Okay now boys give your sister some room, we have a leg to fix," Granny joked as she continued walking towards the cafe. Esme laughed as the boys obeyed instantly and walked towards the Charmings and anyone else who was following Granny into the bashed up diner.

"We haven't seen the last of her, have we Granny?" Esme asked, hoping that the boys didn't hear.

"I'm afraid not, honey. I'm afraid not," Granny said, holding Esme's hand that was around her shoulder.


	11. Chapter 11

Esme and Granny were the first two to enter the cafe, and it truly was a sight to behold. There was glass everywhere; no windows were left in tact, the glass display case Henry's cakes were always in were either shattered or cracked, tables were overturned and the speed of the glass flying everywhere had tore the fabric on some of the chairs. Granny stared in disbelief at the damage one woman had done with one flick of her wrist.

"I'll clean it up," Esme chimed in, hoping to ease the worry that had now etched itself into the battle-axes face. Granny turned to her and gave her a dubious expression - apparently, she didn't have an immense amount of faith in Esme's cleaning ability - to which Esme replied "Hey! I'm a witch too you know?!' And with that, Granny's face shifted slightly, and the burden of cleaning everything up was lessened. Esme was growing in confidence everyday here, she was flourishing, and Granny took great delight in watching her do so; her magic was getting stronger, her relationship with her brothers was admired and envied in equal measure by many who had years on her and her personality shone threw more than ever. She was warm, caring and, above all, protective. Fiercely protective; it was in that regard that she was like her mother.

"Well okay then miss witch, but after we sort out this leg of yours," Granny demanded. She knew Esme was not one to admit defeat, but the girl trusted her and so didn't need much persuasion when Granny told her to sit down on one of the seats. She winced in pain slightly but tried to hide it; she didn't want Granny, or anyone else for that matter, to worry. They were struggling enough with it being Emma who had inflicted all this damage, they didn't need her dramatising her injuries.

"Okay now, where hurts?" Granny asked as she rolled up her sleeves. She carefully inspected Esme but found several gashes across her body; a small one to the head, a bust lip, and a severely beaten up leg. As she left to go to the kitchen so get some boiling water, the cafe filled with everyone that had been on the town square. When she emerged with a basin of steaming hot water, she seemed amazed that they now had such a large audience.

"Everywhere, to answer your question," Esme said in delayed reply, to which everyone politely laughed as the circled around her, even though she didn't actually mean it as a joke. Roland came bounding through the door and jumped onto Esme's knee, an action which was both endearing and excruciatingly painful.

"OH! Ho.. ho… how are you then my brave little knight?" Esme said, desperately (and pathetically) attempting to mask her yelp of pain by, for some reason, being Santa Clause. She gently pushed away the gorgeous brown curls that had fallen around Roland's deep brown eyes and began checking for any damage to his perfect porcelain face when Granny put a scalding hot cloth on a wound Esme didn't even know she had.

"Ouch!" Esme screamed, jumping so much in surprise that Roland jumped off her knee. Esme immediately looked to see what the source of the pain was and was surprised to see a huge, deep gash on her leg that was surrounded by black, dried blood and was still oozing more. Around 7cm in diameter, the cut felt like it was branding her as the hot water seeped into it, and Esme could do nothing but squirm in pain. She looked away from Roland, who was right beside her looking terribly worried, but her knuckles were white from clinging to the chair she was sitting on, and so within seconds, Henry emerged from the crowd and took one her hands. Esme looked at him and was astounded; it looked like he had the world on his small shoulders, she could see it in his eyes.

"I'm fine. It honestly looks worse than it is-" Esme began, hoping to reassure him, at least a little.

"She did this to you. My mom,"

"The Dark One did this to me. Your mom? She saved me," Esme explained, trying to give Henry some hope that Emma was still in there, somewhere.

"She's still in there Henry, and i promise we will get her back," David said, in his usual heroic speech style way. Henry looked at Esme and she nodded reassuringly before slapping away Granny's hand as she placed another steaming hot cloth on the wound.

"Ouch! I think that's enough Granny, thank you," Esme said, trying to be as polite as possible. Granny looked at her before gently wiping away the rest of the blood around the wound.

"Stay here, i'll get a bandage," Granny said before she left. Blue then came to the front of the circle that was now surrounding Esme and began to inspect the wound.

"You're lucky, Esmerelda. You could easily have broken something with that fall," Blue explained, and Esme knew that she was right. The last time she was flung that hard, she ended up in hospital and a heart to heart with the parents she had already upset was not what she had in mind tonight.

"Thank you," she said to Blue.

"Thank you all actually," Esme continued, now addressing everyone. "that could have been a lot worse if it weren't for you, so thank you. I know Emma means a lot to y-"

"That wasn't Emma. That was The Dark One, and we've had enough of that hurting innocent people," the grumpy little man Esme had learned was actually called Grumpy stated, to which many members of the crowd nodded or hmmd in agreement. Esme felt slightly uncomfortable because they were technically talking about Emma, who's parents and son were right there, but she appreciated the sentiment.

"Well thank you," Esme said. The thank you, however, was followed by an awkward silence, as people either stared at her or chatted awkwardly amongst themselves without moving, so Esme was actually glad when Granny came through the door, this time with a handful of white bandages. She handed them to Blue who correctly took this gesture as Granny's way of asking her to bandage Esme's wound, which she did. Now, with a big white bandage wrapped around her lower leg, an ache in her back that worsened when she breathed, a terrified seven year old brother and a traumatised teenage brother, Esme could think of nothing she wanted to do less than what Granny suggested.

"Well Miss Esmerelda, thats your leg all fixed up. Now go in that kitchen and get the water boiled. We have people that need fed and a good, stiff drink," Granny ordered and before Esme had the opportunity to argue, she left to help the people who had began cleaning up and returning the tables to their original positions. Esme limped into the kitchen, doing as she was told, and as she did so she looked out the window. This side window showed the forrest off in the distance and, for just one moment Esme closed her eyes and revelled in the stillness. Ever since she came here, every single day had been filled with something and she had always loved it. Whether it was something serious like practising her magic with Regina or something silly like running around after the boys, she enjoyed the hustle and bustle of this busy life because she had never really had that before. She had had drama throughout her life, of course, but not a great deal of social interaction, which unfortunately was fairy limited when one was trying to escape an evil Empress and her nasty brother. But after everything that had gone on recently, Esme began to miss some elements to her old life; primarily the simplicity of it. A few months ago all Esme had to worry about was where she was going to go next, but now she had all of these other problems to deal with and people to protect and she slowly felt like she was being beaten down. She had closed her eyes to enjoy the peace and quiet, and so didn't notice when Granny came into the kitchen until her hands were placed on Esme's shoulders.

"I thought you'd went to the river to get that water," Granny joked.

Esme jumped slightly at the touch but ensured to laugh at the joke, for Granny was a serious woman, and didn't make them very often.

"Oh! Ha, yeah sorry i must have been day dreaming," Esme explained. She patted Granny's hand that was on her right should and noticed it was all scratched and bloody.

"Granny! Look at your hand!" Esme said, as she immediately placed it under the tap to rinse away the dust and dirt that had collected around the several scratches on both of Granny's hands.

"Oh, don't be silly its just a few scratches. Nothing that's going to kill me," Granny said dismissively as she pulled her hands out from Esme's grip and boiled the kettle Esme had forgotten about.

"Now missy. Are you going to tell me what's running through that head of yours, or are am i gonna have to beat it out of you," Granny said. Esme laughed politely at the joke, but she and Granny both knew that Esme wasn't the spill her guts out kind of girl; from Esme's perspective, vulnerability made her weak, and even though she genuinely trusted Granny, she didn't want to share too much. Or so she thought. Esme was a particularly private person - she kept herself to herself, she didn't burden other people with her worries nor did she ever ask for help - so Granny knew that it would take a lot more than just asking her to get her to open up about the reason she had such a tortured look in her eyes. She took Esme's hand, which was as bloody and scratched as hers, in the hope of comforting her. Esme looked at Granny, well aware that she wasn't a hand holding, touchy feely kind of person, and was suddenly overcome by tears, which stung her eyes before they flowed down her cheeks. Before she knew it, Esme was sobbing in Granny's arms, so much so that she couldn't get the words out.

"Shhhhhh, it's okay. It's gonna be okay, shhhhhh," Granny soothed, stroking Esme's hair, strands of which were now entangled with debris from various buildings in the town centre.

"It's…it's just a lot, you know? I can't protect my little brothers and i…i… i can't even talk to my own parents…" Esme began and once she began to to talk, the words were spilling out of her mouth; before she knew it, she was telling Granny about how she was a little overwhelmed, how just months ago she was all alone but now she had a whole family. She felt cheated; she had missed out on doing chores, being tucked into bed at night, family dinners and everything that was involved with actually being raised by someone. But she couldn't blame Robin and Regina so she was really just angry in general. And she wasn't sure what to do with Robin and Regina; did she call them mom and dad now, did she stay in the house, how was she supposed to talk to them or what about? She didn't know anything.

"Well honey, that's gonna take some time," Granny soothed. Esme sat up, removing her head from Granny's shoulder, and began to wipe away the tears. She wasn't sure why, but she actually felt better about the situation after the cry; somehow it seemed to make things less muddled.

"Now you listen here, Okay? Look at me," Granny said, holding Esme's face to ensure she looked at her. "You have been doing a great job looking after those brothers of yours. And you protected all of us tonight, little missy, not just them so you can, and do, protect them just fine. Now the thing with Regina and Robin may take a little extra time, but if they have any issues, you send them my way," Granny joked, and playfully tapped Esme's chin with her knuckle, mocking a punch.

Esme laughed, and wrapped her arms around Granny, an action Granny was slightly uncomfortable with and so she simply patted Esme on the back.

"Thank you, i'm sorry for offloading everything on you but really, i'll be fine," Esme said.

"Don't apologise, honey. Not to me. Now you take those brothers of yours and get some rest okay? I'll expect you here after you drop them to school tomorrow morning," Granny ordered. When Esme responded to the last part with a confused expression, Granny explained "you said you'd help me clean up. A sore leg doesn't stop your hands moving now does it?" And with that, she brewed the tea and coffee and left the kitchen as Esme stood there and laughed to herself. She quickly wiped her tears, made sure she looked as presentable as possible in her reflection in the window and walked out to the boys who were sitting in a booth with a piece of pie each.

"Ha, you hungry kiddos?" Esme joked, but neither one responded, they just stared blankly at the pie with expressionless faces and in that moment, Esme knew it was going to take a lot to get them through this.

"You guys wanna go home?" Esme asked and received two little nods. Henry walked to her side and hugged her. His head was on her shoulder, his arms were around her neck and he squeezed her tight for a moment or two before walking towards the door, silent. Roland simply stood on the leather cushions in the booth and put his arms up, a clear signal for Esme to carry him.

"I'm sorry kiddo, my leg is too sore to carry you-"

"I'll do it. Jump on little guy," Henry said, and Roland happily jumped onto his back. Esme smiled at him, and they left arm in arm after Esme mouthed 'thank you' to Granny.

The journey home was eventless and as they entered the door to the house, Esme was struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Okay guys, go up and put on your pyjamas and i'll be up to say goodnight in a little minute," Esme explained.

Henry immediately did as he was told and traipsed up the stairs like a zombie,but Roland only got to the bottom of the stairs before he turned around and ran to Esme. He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her tight.

"Hey, hey, little man. You okay?" Esme said and crouched down till her face was level with him. He looked at her for a moment and then wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his face in her neck, without saying one word at all Esme could do was hold him close.

"Hey i'll tell you what. Why don't you and i have a little slumber party tonight?" Esme suggested, and was relieved when Roland nodded in response. She carried him upstairs, put his pyjamas on, tucked him into bed, where he almost instantly fell asleep, and left to put her pyjamas on. As she was brushing her teeth in the bathroom, she heard Roland squealing and she dropped everything and ran immediately to his room, only to find him thrashing and tossing in his bed.

"Roland! Roland!" Esme said shaking him, but was horrified when he woke up with a horrible, terrified look in his eyes.

"Shhhh, it's okay honey. It's okay, its just a bad dream that's all," Esme explained as she held him close. He was clinging to her like a baby monkey when Henry joined them both on the bed. Roland simply turned his head, not wanting to let go of Esme, and so Henry took his little hand in his.

"Hey Roland, look at me," Henry said, to which Roland obeyed.

"Where you dreaming about my m- The Dark One?" Henry asked, and Roland nodded.

"Do you remember who saved you?" Henry asked, and Roland nodded again.

"Sissy," he replied.

"Exactly. So, so long as Esme is here, she won't get us," Henry said, rubbing little Roland's arm comfortingly.

"Is that true, sissy?" Roland asked, with his big brown eyes looking a lot less sad.

"Ummm yeah. I will do everything i can to make sure she won't get you, either of you," Esme explained.

"Can you stay here with me?" Roland said, clearly more appeased thinking he was completely safe.

"Of course I can," Esme said and tucked herself up into the double bed, with Roland's head on her chest. Henry made his way to the door and then stopped.

"Hey Ez," Henry said.

"Yeah squirt?"

"Thanks."

Esme smiled and said, "Don't mention it. Now get some rest."

And so as she lay there, with little Roland in her arms and Henry safely in bed, the world became a lot clearer; yeah, this whole family thing was new, but with it came a whole lot of happiness Esme had never experienced before. And that was something Esme would fight for, not run from.


	12. Chapter 12

"Esme? Esme!" Henry said, shaking Esme's shoulders, gently at first and then with greater force when she wouldn't wake up. After a few seconds of shaking and shouts, Esme began to wake up and actually felt like she had slept; a sensation she hadn't felt in quite some time which, ironically, worried her. Usually it was her waking up the boys and it was typically still relatively dark in the morning. But today, the birds were chirping, the sun wasn't necessarily out, as it was hidden behind the grey autumn clouds, but it was brighter than usual and Henry was waking her up.

"What? Wait, what time is it?" Esme asked.

"Its 12."

"In the afternoon?! What? Why didn't my alarm go off!" Esme said as she grabbed the clock beside the bed and frantically tried to understand how she had slept for 12 full hours and possibly through her alarm.

"I turned it off," Henry said calmly, placing a plate of toast and a mug of tea on the table beside Roland's bed.

"Wh- I'm sorry what? Why?" Esme said with a slight laugh she couldn't quite conceal, amused that he was so calm about it. She made an effort to get up every morning at stupid o'clock so that she could take the boys to school, practice her magic and occasionally help Granny before collecting the boys from school. She would have loved a day just to relax and rest but that was a luxury she just did not have; she had two parents in hospital, an evil aunt she didn't yet have the power to compel and now she had to learn every protection spell imaginable so that she could protect her brothers from a saviour gone evil.

"Because," Henry said, drinking some of Esme's tea as he sat beside Esme on the bed.

"Henry, that's not an answer," Esme laughed.

"Okay, well last night you nearly died, you've been exhausted for weeks and Roland and I don't really want to go to school today-"

"Oh you don't?" Esme said sarcastically. Henry laughed and handed Esme her tea.

"I made it the way you like it," he said and did a big cheesy grin, hoping to charm Esme if logic failed.

"Well thank you but that's not the point-"

"Yeah it kinda is! You look after us all the time, even though you only met us like 3 or 4 months ago. We wanted to look out for you for a change," Henry explained and he watched Esme soften, albeit slightly. He knew she was a sucker for routine and, to be fair, the routine she had got them into had helped Henry focus on school and caring for his mom and forget, at least a little, about his other mom. But while trying to establish and carry out this routine, he had to watch Esme almost destroy herself; she woke up every morning at 6.30am just to make them breakfast and get them ready, irregardless of what time she got home at, she walked with them to school with or without injury, she practiced magic for at least an hour every day which drained her energy and she was back and forth to the hospital once or twice every single day. She was exhausted and Henry didn't want to wait until she made herself ill to make her rest.

"Sissy! Me, you and Henry are gonna have a movie day!" Roland said, as he came storming up the stairs and lunged onto the bed. Esme lifted her tea and watched as Roland crawled under the covers while she was trying not to spill boiling hot tea over herself.

"Well that sounds awesome, but i promised i would help Granny clean the diner-"

"She already rang this morning. I told her you were resting and she said she would come over later with food,"

"Wh- I appreciate it but i can cook for us by mys-"

"No you can't," Henry said, laughing.

"What! Henry i am an awesome cook!" Esme protested, laughing as her brothers giggled at each other.

"Hey, you love my macaroni and cheese!" she said as she ruffled Henry's hair playfully.

"And you," she said, tickling Roland, "You love my hotdogs."

"That's not cooking!" Henry laughed.

"What? Of course it is! I have to use the oven and everything," Esme said, now laughing as much as her brothers. She had to admit, her culinary skills left a lot to be desired, but in her defence, before now she had no real need of them; she usually barbecued whatever she hunted in the forrest or ocean or 'borrowed' food form the locals. Their laughter was only silenced by the ringing of the house phone, which Henry immediately bolted to answer. While Henry answered the phone, Roland made sure to put pillows under Esme's leg, apparently Granny had told him to, and sat with her to make sure she ate all of the toast he had lovingly made her.

"Are we going to see daddy later?" Roland asked as he went to the shelves below the TV and flicked through the movies he had in his room. Esme had always wondered why the room wasn't more Rolandish; the room had white walls with white trim, a large black framed double bed, a black wardrobe with matching drawers, a row of shelves that were arranged in a pyramid formation along the bottom wall with a TV on the wall above them. Henry's room was clearly designed for Henry - with dark blue walls, stuffed animals occasional poking out of their hiding areas, photos of him and Regina or him and his friends and shelves upon shelves of books and comics - and it was clear that despite their newly discovered history, Regina and Robins relationship was still actually relatively new. It was this fact that humbled Esme, for even though they weren't married, and didn't even really live together, they had a beautifully comfortable relationship; they complimented each other, like their souls weren't complete if they weren't together.

"Umm, yeah sure," she said as he continued his search for the perfect movie, even though Esme knew he would choose one of the minion films.

"Yay!" he screamed and began shouting 'Henry' as he ran out of the room and down the hall. Esme simply laughed and tentatively got up out of bed, with the intention of cleaning up the clothes she had just flung into the corner of the room last night, but she wished that she hadn't bothered when she sat at the edge, aching everywhere. Her head was throbbing, her legs were so painful she couldn't even tell which one was bandaged and her back was worse today than it was yesterday; maybe a lazy day in bed wouldn't be so bad after-all. But that idea was quashed when Henry came walking in, promptly followed by Roland, who had become his shadow, with a worried look on his face.

"Umm, that was the hospital," Henry said.

"Okaaay? Is everyone okay?" Esme asked even though she knew that was a stupid question.

"Umm yeah. Well, sort of. Mom is having another headache and seeing as how you helped her last time-"

"You want me to go and help. Okay, just let me-" Esme said as she struggled to get up. She knew her legs would be sore but she wasn't quite expecting them to give way the way they did, thus making her fall promptly back onto the bed. Henry and Roland came running but she wanted to reassure them there was nothing to worry about so began to get up off the bed again.

"I'm fine! I'm okay! Just a little stiff. I'll head there now and you two can go to-"

"The hospital. We're going to the hospital," Henry said defiantly and Esme knew that whenever he said something like that, there was no way she or anyone else could dissuade him, so Esme just rolled her eyes and just accepted the fact she would have helpers.

"Okay.. well then you two need to get changed," she said. Henry kissed her cheek in agreement and Roland quickly did so too before enveloping her in a bear hug. Esme winced in pain as the hug caused a sharp, searing pain to dart up her back but smiled when Roland ran off to get his stuff out of the drawers.

Esme went to the bathroom to get changed and once everyone was ready, they headed off to the hospital. Thankfully, the journey was uneventful, other than Granny coming out to ensure Esme helped her clean up when they were on their way home. The hospital entrance was quiet and calm, but upon turning the corner to Regina and Robins room, they heard the screams that had become all to familiar. Esme could see Robin holding Regina as one of her hands gripped his and the other was holding her head, and she knew the boys couldn't see this.

"Take Roland for food. I'll come and get you when things have calmed down," Esme told Henry.

"Bu-" he began to protest but Esme put it off.

"No buts Henry. Now," Esme said, trying to ensure Henry understood the urgency, which he did.

Once Esme was sure Henry and Roland were out of sight, she ran into the room.

"Esme! Thank god. Help her!" Robin said, still holding her tight.

"Okay, i need a seat," she said and a nurse promptly placed one behind her. "Thank you."

Esme sat down, took both of Regina's hands and focussed. She focussed on Regina's pain, imagined sharing it and easing the burden and within moments she could feel darkness wash over her.

 _As she opened her eyes, she saw Regina hunkered down in-front of a rock near the sight of her accident. She looked ill; with dark circles under her eyes, a ghostly white completion and bloodshot eyes. Regina was sobbing, her shoulders heaving up and down, and Esme's heart broke at the sight of her, so she was relieved when Robin appeared, with a handful of cute woodland creatures Esme chose to ignore. He saw the state Regina was in and dropped everything; the rabbits, his bow and arrow, everything. He ran to be beside her but she remained rigid and all he could do was hold her as she gripped his arm and wept._

 _"_ _Shhhhhhh, shhhhhh. Oh my darling," Robin said, stroking her hair and repeatedly kissing her head. He hated that all he could do was hold her when he really wanted to get rid of her pain, but he knew as well as she did that that would never happen. Today marked the one year anniversary of the death of their son, Henry Robin Hood, and Robin was struggling, because he not only lost Henry that night, he and Regina lost a part of themselves; they lost their ability to be excited or hopeful. He couldn't look forward to anything, or get Regina's hopes up, because he couldn't guarantee it wouldn't be taken away and he wasn't sure they could survive that. The first week was horrific; Regina couldn't stop crying and Robin felt like he was simply functioning, too scared to feel anything. However since then, each day they began to forget little things about him - what he looked like, how small he was, what he smelled like - he couldn't remember and felt disgusted that now time was taking away his son as well._

 _"_ _I….I'm sorry…" Regina cried, gasping for air as she paused._

 _"_ _No, no. My love, don't ever think you have to apologise to me… not ever.." Robin said, holding her face to his, so that their noses and foreheads where touching and they could feel each other breathe, and carefully wiped away her tears._

 _"_ _I know he was your son too…" Regina said, pulling away from him, like she had done many times before; she felt that being close to or happy with Robin meant forgetting her son some more, and she couldn't and wouldn't do that._

 _"_ _And you have done exactly what i am doing now for you for me. You held me so close, like this," he said as he wrapped his arms around her, but she remained rigid and as he looked at her, he saw the steely expression return to her face, " and told me we would get through this. And we will."_

 _"_ _You should have left me there," Regina said, her face returning to the eery, emotionless expression Robin had grown all too accustomed to. Robin was horrified by Regina's statement._

 _"_ _Wh- Regina you know I couldn't do that. You would have died!" Robin said, shaking Regina as he tried to make a desperate bid to rid her of this darkness that was consuming her but she didn't waver._

 _"_ _I would rather be dead. At least then, i'd be with him," Regina said. Her haunted expression remained and all Robin could do was back away in disbelief, trying and failing, to understand how they were going to get through this. Robin slid back so that his back was against a tree, desperately trying to steady himself as his entire world fell apart; he couldn't protect his son and lost him, and now he was going to lose the woman he loved._

 _Regina watched as Robins eyes widened, as his resolve weakened and knew she had caused it all. She desperately wanted to feel pity, she wanted to feel sorry but she couldn't; she felt nothing. The man she loved was hurting but she couldn't muster enough strength to comfort him because she was cold and empty. She couldn't kiss him, hold him or love him because that meant allowing herself to feel and she just couldn't do that, so the last few months they had become two separate souls that were merely close in proximity. When Henry died, she wouldn't have survived if it hadn't been for Robin, and she knew that, but all she felt was pain. She woke up in pain, she fell asleep in agony and every moment in-between was getting more and more unbearable, so she turned it off. She turned off the emotion, shut out any and all happiness and turned herself into this cold monster that was sitting here, staring at the man she loved and watching him suffer. In that moment, she wished she could feel, if only for a moment, just to take away his pain, but she couldn't because she knew she couldn't endure the agony that came with it. Thus instead of watching Robin stare blankly into the trees, she stared at the stone they had placed where they buried their baby and she closed her eyes, imagining him as a one year old, tottering around the campsite. She was perfectly content doing so when she felt a presence beside her and when she opened her eyes, it was Robin._

 _"_ _You need to stop this," he said, looking more angry than hurt. He didn't touch her, he just sat beside her and stared at the rock that marked the grave of their son._

 _"_ _Stop what?" Regina said with a slight laugh that she immediately regretted._

 _"_ _Pushing me away. Trying to be this cold woman i barely recognise-"_

 _"_ _I lost my son,"_

 _"_ _Our son! He was our son Regina! I feel that pain, your pain, every single day. But every morning i wake up, i make a decision, i make a choice-"_

 _"_ _A choice? And what exactly is that choice? Hmm? You choose to live life? You choose to love? Well i make a choice to and that is to stop feeling. To stop feeling the pain that feels like my heart is breaking, to stop feeling terrified every single moment or every single day that you are going to be taken away-" Regina began to scream. Although it wasn't exactly what Robin had in mind, her words were said in anger and he was just glad that she was feeling something._

 _"_ _I choose you Regina. I would love to stop feeling the loss and the agony of seeing my son lie motionless in your arms, i would love to stop remembering that night but i can't do that because if i do that, i lose you too. Henry was our son, our little baby boy that we made because we were in love and that love is his legacy. Every single day i choose you, and i will continue to choose you for the rest of my life. I just hope that you choose me," Robin explained. He took Regina's hands and as she turned her face away, he thought that this may actually work. For months, he tried to avoid hurting her by avoiding the subject of their son, but now that she seemed to have put her walls down again, he may actually be able to get through to her._

 _"_ _Why?" Regina said, still looking away from Robin._

 _"_ _Why what?"_

 _"_ _Why do you love me? I'm a monster, Robin. I bring death to anyone who gets close-"_

 _"_ _You're not a monster. Difficult and volatile? Yes, on occasion, But you're no monster," he joked._

 _"_ _You didn't answer my question," Regina said, as she slowly began to look into Robin's eyes._

 _"_ _I don't have an answer. There is no one reason," Robin said matter-of-factly, but Regina simply stared at him expectantly and so he continued. "It's your eyes. They're not the only reason, but they certainly help,"_

 _"_ _My eyes?" Regina asked with a perplexed expression._

 _"_ _Yes, your eyes," Robin said, as he wiped away a few strands of her hair that had blown across her face. She flinched slightly at his touch, which sent a stab of pain through his heart, so he simply returned his hands to hers, which she seemed less uncomfortable with. "They say the eyes are the window to the soul which i suppose is true, because when i look into yours i see everything. I see what you want and what you need and i would do anything to give that to you. I always have and i always will. I fell in love with you looking into those eyes because i see your soul shine through them. They are the one thing that betrays you; they show your pain, your happiness , your everything. I was born to look into those eyes of yours, to ease that pain, to cause that happiness and, if you still want it, I would like to continue doing so," Robin explained. He hated seeing this cold Regina but as he began to explain to her how much he loved her, he watched as they eyes he loved so much began to soften. He felt her take her hands from his and his heart sank to the bottom of his stomach; he loved her so much, but if telling her so didn't work, he wasn't sure what else to do. Robin closed his eyes and breathed out, defeated, but as he did so, he felt hands on his cheeks. He slowly opened his eyes and finally saw the woman he loved; she was broken and in pain, with tears in her eyes but she was there. He smiled at the sight of her, silently hoping that Regina had finally broke through her darkness, but waited. In the last few months, Regina couldn't bare to kiss him, lay with him or even touch him and so he was elated when she slowly began to bring her lips to his. As she lent towards his face, she continued to hold his cheeks and carefully kissed him. After once soft, long kiss, Regina separated their lips and rested her forehead on him as a tear ran down her cheek; in that moment she was overwhelmed, because she felt. Yes, she felt the pain, the anger and the uselessness that she remembered from before but she also felt love, and with that notion she began to laugh. Robin brought his head back from hers, worried about what she was doing._

 _"_ _Wh- Am i really that bad?" Robin said, clearly trying to joke but his attempt at humour failed to hide his concern._

 _"_ _True love's kiss,"_

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _True love's kiss breaks any spell,"_

 _"_ _But you weren't under a spell?"_

 _"_ _Yes i was. Yours. And i have been for quite some time. I'm sorry i forgot that,"_

 _"_ _Oh, my love i don't blame you. We lost our son-"_

 _"_ _I choose you" she said as she stroked his cheek._

 _She saw the happiness in Robins eyes and she wanted to see that more. He brought her in for a tentative kiss, however their need for one another deepened and the world faded to black as the two kissed a passionate and hungry kiss._


	13. Chapter 13

Esme woke up with a startle, as if she had just woken up from a nightmare, and Robin, Henry and Roland all jumped.

"Sissy! Are you okay?" Roland said as he jumped off the bed and onto Esme lap. It took Esme a moment or two to realise where she was and what had happened but she wrapped her arms around her little brother and breathed as his little head rested on her neck.

"Yeah sweetie, i'm fine," Esme said as she stroked his hair in an effort to reassure him she was fine. She looked around trying to find the clock but she couldn't see it from the position she was sitting in, and then she couldn't move because she was too weak to do so, especially with Roland's weight on her lap.

"You were out for a few minutes, that's all," Henry said, putting his hand on her shoulders.

"Really? It felt like way longer," Esme said as she patted his hand and tried to figure out how she had seen at least an hours worth of memories but had only been out for a few minutes.

"What did you see?" Robin said without making eye contact; instead, his main focus was Regina as he gazed at her with both adoration and worry in equal measure.

"I saw her… i saw you both on baby Henry's first anniversary," she began but she had to stop when Robin sat down on the bed; he looked in pain and Esme didn't want to tell him anymore of the story. She found it horrific to watch, so she couldn't imagine Robin finding it any easier to hear.

"H..why don't i remember it? Why is she remembering such terrible things," Robin began to mumble to himself. He remembered one of their first dates and he remembered her holding their precious baby girl but Regina remembered the death of their son, and now his anniversary; why couldn't Robin help her remember the good times

"Robin, people remember different things at different times-" Esme began.

"But she is going through all of these things all on her own and she-"

"She wasn't on her own. Robin you were there with her, okay? Yeah she was in pain, but you were there for her. You never left her side. You saved her," Esme said. She lifted little Roland, set him in the chair and then made her way over to Robin and she took his hand. He was transfixed with Regina, memorising every detail of her face, but Esme's touch brought him out of the spell and back to the room they were in, and as looked at Esme, his perfect little girl who was no longer so little, a small tear rolled down his cheek.

The pain inside of him was palpable, and Esme could almost hear his conflicting heart pump and pump, but she wanted to try and make this whole situation as bearable as possible for the boys, because she understood she couldn't keep booting them out of the room every time something happened. So although she was struggling to contain her emotion, brought on by pure empathy for Robin, she laughed as she wiped away the tear with the hand that wasn't in his.

"You're kind of a cryer," she joked and Esme was pleased that it had the desired affect when Henry and Roland chuckled a little.

"I never used to be," Robin laughed as Esme gave an overly dramatic emphatic eye-roll to Roland which sent him into a fit of giggles.

"Well, well what's going on in here!" Dr Whale said as he entered the room, clearly pleased to see a happier room than what he usually entered. Robin was glad everyone was smiling for a change, but the doctor rarely came in to deliver good news; typically his visits left Robin with more questions than answers.

"Everything okay doctor?" Esme asked. As she did so, Robin noticed that upon seeing the doctor enter the room, Esme not only tightened her grip on his hand but she instinctively looked towards Henry and Robin, and they her; she was more like her mother than she cared to admit and he couldn't help but smile slightly. Esme noticed, and threw him a confused glare but he shook his head and their focus quickly returned to Dr Whale.

"Everything is fine. I actually came here to tell you that you can both go home," he explained to four very confused expressions.

"What?" Robin asked.

"I said you can go home. There is no medical need for either of you to be here any longer," The Doctor explained but his explanation merely served to anger Robin as opposed to placate him.

"No medical need? Regina is unconscious! What is she goes home and something happens! Are we suddenly an inconvenience to you-" Robin fired. He stood up and was about to continue with even more conviction when Esme took his arm.

"What he means is, are you sure they're well enough to come home? I mean, he is right; Regina is unconscious," Esme said, trying to reassure Dr Whale down after Robins little outburst, however there really was no need for the man operated in a near constant state of nonchalant-ness. Although she wasn't exactly surprised at the doctors calm demeanour, she was confused about Robins; she couldn't quite believe he had lost his temper over something that should have been good news, but she would get to that later; right now she needed to make sure Robin kept his cool.

"I'm positive. Look, Regina will wake up in a moment or two and frankly, we can't find any medical reason behind these head pains so we conclude that it is down to the spell Esme explained you were placed under. The mind is a tricky thing, Robin, but your daughter is of more use to you than we can be. Should there be any medical complications we will treat you immediately, but i'm afraid that until then, there is no need for you to stay here," the doctor explained. Robin was now sat at the bottom of Regina's bed, and so doctor Whale walked over to him and patted his shoulder.

"This is good news Robin," the Doctor said and although it wasn't entirely obvious, Esme sensed there was a greater meaning behind the statement, and, considering his reaction, Robin understood what that was. He immediately stood up and shook the doctor's hand.

"Thank you," Robin said, and the two men engaged in a man hug Esme had learned was quite common here in Storybrooke. Once the doctor left, Esme walked to meet Robin, who had walked the doctor out, at the door.

"What the hell was that," Esme whispered but Robin simply put his arm around her, began walking towards Regina's bed and ignored her question. Roland quickly jumped up into Robin's arms and Henry helped Esme sit down in the chair Roland had vacated, before he lay down beside his mom. Esme initially thought the scene in-front of her was quite sad, that was until the arm Henry was lying on slowly began to move and the loose hand that Henry was holding began to close around his. Henry immediately sat up and watched as his mom began to slowly open her eyes, and smiled with utter glee as she quickly came around.

"Eugh," Regina grunted as she held her head. "I am so over these headaches." With that, although they were all exhausted and the timing wasn't exactly appropriate, everyone laughed, even Esme, and for one moment, things were normal for them all. However, when Robin ran over to kiss Regina and Roland ran to jump on Henry's knee, the feeling Esme that consumed Esme yesterday returned; this family was finally getting back together, and she was simply an intruder. She felt ridiculous; she was twenty years old and was feeling 'left out' by the family she knew she hadn't been exactly welcoming of. This thought process continued, as Esme pondered all of her options, and so Esme was relatively relieved when they heard a knock on the door, and she was even more relieved when she saw that it was Granny. The door was already open, but she knocked nevertheless, before entering with a bunch of fresh flowers Esme recognised from the forrest.

"Hey!" Esme said as she jumped out of her chair. The flowers were lovely, but Granny had lifted so many she was struggling to see over their glorious petals and so Esme took them off her and put them in the vase on Regina and Robin's shared bedside table.

"Oh Granny, they're beautiful, aren't they Regina?" Robin said as he made his way over to give Granny a kiss on the cheek.

"Yes they are. Thank you," Regina said with a genuine smile even though she was well aware she wasn't the reason that Granny was here.

"It's no problem. I hear you're both doing well," Granny explained as she remained standing near the door. Esme had come to realise that Regina was not a popular woman in Storybrooke; after everything she had done as The Evil Queen, it would take her a while to rebuild the bridges that she had burned with an awful lot of people, and Granny was one of those people.

"We are, thank you," Robin said as he returned to Regina's side and placed his arm around her.

"Yeah, they're coming home," Esme said. She wasn't quite sure why she said it, it just kind of came out of her mouth before her filter prevented it; she certainly wasn't excited, but she felt like perhaps if she acted like she was, she would somehow make herself. The best part was, Granny somehow knew; she had grown close to the young woman, particularly in recent weeks, and by now she knew some of her quirks and little expressions and she could tell Esme wasn't as excited as she tried to sound.

"Oh really? That's..umm… that's great news. I actually came to steal Esme," Granny said to both Robin and Regina, before directing her words at Esme. "I could use your help cleaning up the cafe-"

"But she's hurt," Regina said matter of factly. Regina knew that Esme was more than capable of cleaning with a mere scratch on her leg but she wanted to talk to her and she couldn't do that if she was cleaning up after Granny. Granny, however, was not impressed by Regina's possessive display.

"I am well aware Regina, i cleaned it for her," Granny said, hoping to remind Regina that she actually cared about Esme.

"I'm fine, really. I don't mind helping out-" Esme said, trying to diffuse the situation between the two strong willed women.

"Did you even hear about last night?" Granny continued, determined to remind Regina that establishing a relationship with her daughter should be her main priority; she forgets that even though she has some memories of Esme as a baby, Esme has none of Regina or Robin.

"Wh- we heard there was a problem in the main street and that Esme got a little hurt but-" Robin began as he looked at Regina for some sort of explanation as to why Granny was being so accusatory, but he didn't get an answer, for she looked just as confused as he did.

"Ha! Problem?!"

"Granny-" Esme interjected as she tried, and failed, to calm the her.

"No!" Granny told Esme, and Esme immediately stopped trying as she was well aware that once Granny had something to say, she wasn't going to stop until it was said; Esme was just concerned what that burning statement was.

"Look, i know you two have been ill and i'm very sorry for that, but this young woman has been raising your two boys and fighting off things that shouldn't be her problem-"

"Granny-" Esme said, trying to grab her arm to stop her but Granny snatched it away and continued.

"Last night she singlehandedly went up against The Dark One, and had it not been for Emma making a reappearance, she would have lost. Now, she has been breaking her heart about you two and all you can do is act like nothing has happened-"

"Granny!" Esme shouted, now angry that anything Esme had told Granny was being used against her; she had told Granny how she felt in confidence and under the assumption that, at the very least, she wouldn't tell Robin and Regina. Esme was surprised at Granny's outburst, for although they had indeed established a friendship, Esme suspected that it was more about berating Regina than defending Esme. But when she looked at Robin and Regina, she remembered exactly why she didn't want them to know - they looked crushed; Robin looked as if someone had punched him in the stomach and Regina's eyes sparkled with a hint of tears. However, Regina was a queen at her core, and her vulnerability was short lived, for after a few seconds of it looking like her world had crushed around her, her steely expression returned and she came on the defensive.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember asking for your input on our daughter," Regina said, as she leaned towards Granny.

"Mom-" Henry said as he held her hand, but it was of no use. The two women would fight to the death to prove they were different, when they were actually rather alike, and their determination to have their say was a quality both women shared; although Esme would never highlight this to either of them.

"Now, if you don't mind old woman, i would appreciate it if you kept your opinions to yourself. You can't even begin to imagine what has happened and perhaps if you worried a little less about my family, you'd be able to find that dog of yours-"

"Oookkaaay!" Esme said as she stepped in between both Regina and Granny before Granny tried to strangle Regina or Regina hurled a fireball at Granny. Henry and Roland looked very uncomfortable, and were so still on the chair Esme thought if they had magic, they would have poofed themselves out of there long ago. Robin had a peculiar expression on his face; he still looked devastated that Esme had confided in Granny about her feelings about them both, but he also looked angry. Esme just wasn't sure who he was angry at. Was it Granny for telling his or Regina for reverting to her nasty ways, if even for a moment.

"Look, it's all fine," Esme said with her arms spread out, one palm faced Granny and another faced Regina.

"I will come and help you clean up the diner now," she told Granny in as calm a voice that she could muster.

"And then i'll come here and we can take you back to your house okay? I will tell you all about last night on the way," she said. The two women didn't apologise, and Esme didn't expect them to, so they simply stopped giving each other death glares and looked away.

"You two stay here and pack their stuff," Esme said as she gave them both a kiss on the head before she walked after Granny who had already stormed out of the hospital room.

The journey to the diner was quite nice, Esme didn't actually have to speak as Granny vented almost the entire journey about what a 'piece of work' Regina was. The funny thing was, although Esme didn't feel particularly close to Regina, she did feel a pang of guilt and a little anger hearing someone else berate her the way Granny was doing. When they arrived, Esme saw that the only thing she really had to do was somehow put that glass back into the windows in the diner and then some of the stores along the street, and she was relieved.

"Oh! You got a lot done today,"

"We had some help. Now you think you can fix them?" Granny said and pointed to the windows.

"Ummm, yeah i think so. There was a spell Regina taught me that fixed broken things. Now, i practiced on ceramics but how different can glass be, really?" Esme asked innocently, completely unaware that the answer to that was very. It took her 6 attempts to get one window fixed.

"Granny! Granny I did it!" Esme shouted to Granny who was in the kitchen. When she emerged, she carried two mugs of hot tea and look at the impressive window that now stood in its frame, without even a crack.

"Excellent. now we have eight more to g-" she started but before she could finish, a gust of wind blew through Storybrooke and the whole window fell through again. Esme stared in utter shock and covered her mouth with both hands and when she looked at Granny, she didn't look much calmer

"Try again, honey. Try again," Granny said with a concoction of empathy and bossiness.


	14. Chapter 14

Finally, after what felt like hours, Esme finally mastered the spell and put all of the windows back together again. Granny wasn't entirely confident in her ability, and Esme couldn't exactly blame her, so insisted on testing every single one by poking them. However once they all eventually passed Granny's test, Esme was free to enjoy her tea in peace and the two friends sat at the table in corner and enjoyed the stillness that came with having a fully enclosed space.

"So, what is it you're worried about? When Regina and Robin come home, I mean," Granny asked. Esme always found her bluntness amusing; she actually appreciated it because she knew where she stood with Granny. If Granny was angry with her, she would say so or if she was worried, she would say, albeit not always in the nicest manner, but that honesty was a trait Esme had found was scarce in the world.

"You sure you're not gonna go screaming whatever I say to Regina?" Esme asked as she avoided eye contact and stared into her tea. She hated confrontation, and certainly didn't want to annoy Granny but she needed to be certain that she could count on Granny to keep their conversations private; she knew Granny had good intentions but the end doesn't always justify the means.

"I didn't tell Regina anything you told me. I simply told her the truth," Granny said and Esme could only smile at her completely defiant response. Through her time working here, Esme had learned that Granny was never wrong. If a customer got the wrong order, that was the customer's fault. If she angered someone by something that she said, that person took it the wrong way. Although it wasn't something Esme necessarily liked, it was amusing to behold.

"Fine," Esme laughed. "I dunno, its just sometimes I feel…"

"Left out?" Granny answered.

"Yeah! Like it's not that I don't want the boys to be close to her or Robin its just, I don't know sometimes I just wish I was as close as they are but I don't know how to get there,"

"Well honey, i'm gonna give you some advice," Granny began with a statement that had quickly become Granny's mantra. "Now it's no secret that i'm not that woman's biggest fan, but I wouldn't wish what she's been through on my worst enemy. I know that you don't, but I see the way she looks at you, the way they both look at you and to them, they are your parents and you are their baby. Now i'm not telling you that it's going to be easy, and I certainly don't think it will happen quickly, but I think they are exactly what you need,"

"What I need?"

"Yes what you need. You have flourished in the time that you've been here, you and those boys are thick as thieves. I think you need to learn that you don't need to do absolutely everything all by yourself, and whether you see it or not, Regina and Robin want to be there for you. But they can only do that if you let them-"

"Let them what, though? That's what i'm saying! I don't know how to be a daughter-"

"You already are their daughter, honey. All you have to do now is let them be your parents. Its a two way thing Esme, just try and let them be there."

Esme simply sighed in response; she knew that Granny was right, she hadn't been exactly welcoming of either of them, but with so much on her mind already, how much could she really rely on them?

"I will try," Esme said and smiled as Granny rolled her eyes at her flippant response. When she happened to look up, the clock that had hung above the door survived and when she looked at it she realised she had been for for well over an hour and she promised everyone that she would be back to take them back to their house, so she immediately stood up.

"Crap! Granny i'm gonna have to go, you okay?" Esme said as she quickly kissed the old woman head.

"I'll be fine go on. Now you remember what I said!" Granny shouted as Esme attempted to run out of the door, but her injured leg made it more difficult than she had expected it to so it looked more like the zombie walk Henry and Roland used to do in the morning to delay going to school. By the time she got to the hospital, she was exhausted and because she hadn't fully recovered from her memory session with Regina, she had to sit down for a moment before she went to the Hood-Mills room. As she sat there to catch her breath, she saw something move from the corner of her eye; it was a dark figure so she couldn't quite make out who it was and when she got up to investigate it further, there was nothing there and so she simply waved it off as her tiredness getting the better of her and walked to her family's room.

"Sissy's here!" she heard Roland shout as she walked down the corridor and smiled as Robin went to open the door for her.

"Thank you. Sorry it took so long I had some trouble with the windows," she said. She watched as Robin was carrying Roland and Regina had her arm around Henry and so she said, "ready to go?". Robin told her they had already signed all of the discharge papers and so they were able to simply walk home, which was news to Esme's ears as she was starving and wanted nothing more than the lasagne Granny had made for them yesterday which was sitting nicely in the fridge. The first half of their journey was effectively an interrogation based on the events of last night; apparently Henry was as big a blabber mouth as Granny.

"Oh, when i get my hands on that b-" Regina began.

"Regina.." Robin said calmly yet assertively. For around 5 minutes Esme was bombarded with questions like where she was hurt, how she got Roland away and where Emma was now. As she answered them calmly, she couldn't help but smile. Robin and Regina seemed to take it in turns to question Esme, and took little solace in the answers, but Esme actually felt good about the interrogation for even though it seemed silly, it proved to Esme that they truly cared not only about the work Esme did, but actually about Esme and her wellbeing. Once the questions stopped, Henry quickly ran over to Esme, who had slotted herself in the middle, and complained about how hungry he was.

"Well, why don't we go to the diner?" Robin suggested, putting his arm around Henry who returned the gesture with a good, teenage bat pack before continuing to walk beside Robin.

"Umm, we can't. It got pretty beat up last night and Granny hasn't opened it yet. But we do have that lasagne in the fri-"

"Yes!" Both Henry and Roland chorused and Esme laughed as she said "Lasagne it is then."

"Where did you learn to cook lasagne?" Regina asked innocently.

"Sissy didn't cook it!" Roland said, covering his mouth as he tried to hide the giggles that Esme knew were going to lead to her culinary skills taking a sever bashing.

"Yeah Esme doesn't really cook," Henry said as he came to her side and reached to put his arm around her shoulder.

"I do! I'm just not as good as Granny,"

"No you definitely aren't," Henry laughed and the two enjoyed a playful squabble, much to the amusement of Regina and Robin, who walked hand in hand behind Esme, Roland and Esme.

"Like your mother then," Robin joined and Esme laughed as Regina playfully hit his arm before he pulled her in for a kiss as they continued walking. Esme was actually enjoying herself on the walk, the very thought of which had once filled her with dread, and whenever they eventually got to the house, it didn't feel as awkward Esme was worried it would. As Regina and Robin set their bags down on the floor, Esme said she would go and put their stuff away and then put their dinner on.

"Thank you," Robin said and Regina smiled warmly at her, glad to see she was at least slightly at ease here. All three children took a bag each and they ran upstairs. Regina was walking to put the oven on when she felt two hands around her waist, and the soft lips she adored began to brush her neck.

"Robin!" Regina giggled. "The kids are just upstairs!"

"Exactly. Their upstairs," he said and he moved his hands from her waist to her soft, delicate, pink cheeks and kissed the lips he dreamt about daily. After a few seconds of soft, delicate kisses, Regina pulled away when she felt herself wanting him, wanting more.

"Hmmm," she sighed she she rested her head on his. "We can't do this now,"

"Fine," Robin said, as he kissed her nose, then her mouth, then her neck.

"Robin!" Regina laughed and pulled herself out of his grasp before heading to the kitchen. She knew that it was a ridiculous thing to notice in light of the events they had just heard of, but she found herself amazed by how clean things were and the fact that there wasn't one think out of place; everything was almost exactly as she left it. Indeed, although she was amazed, it saddened her slightly. It was a painful reminder that Esme didn't quite feel comfortable enough to even mess anything up; it reminded her of someone staying in a friend's house. She heard Robin walk in after her.

"She shouldn't have had to do this," Regina said as she stared at the pristine kitchen.

"Do what?" Robin asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulders.

"Cook, clean, any of this," Regina said.

"Regina, I know it's horrible but there really was nothing we could do. Besides, look at her with our boys" he soothed.

"I know, but still."

"Okay, look at me," he said and held her face in his hands. "I promise you, we are going to make this better. We will do everything to make sure she knew's that we love her," he explained, and the two stared into each others eyes, finding solace in their shared strife.

"Umm.. sorry to interrupt but I just wanted to ask if I can have a shower?" Esme said, as she stood awkwardly at the archway to the kitchen. She heard what they had said and was genuinely moved by it, but the look on Regina's face when she asked the question confused Esme for although she thought that she was being polite, Regina looked hurt and Esme couldn't understand why.

"You don't have to ask, Esme. This is your home," Regina explained trying to smile in a fain attempt to hide her sadness. "You know where everything is right?" to which Esme nodded and so Regina said, "Okay, enjoy."

When Esme left, Regina felt Robins hands massage her shoulders as he knew that that question confirmed Regina's fears; Esme didn't think of this as her home.

"Come on and sit down," Robin said as he led Regina by the hand to the couch, however when they got there, they saw a pillow and some blankets and realised that for almost two months Esme had been sleeping on a couch and Robin's heart fell to the bottom of his stomach when he saw the pain that realisation caused Regina.

"We will make this her home," Robin explained to Regina who simply placed the makeshift bed on the floor.

"There's actually something we have to do first," Regina said as she took his hand in hers and sat down facing each other on the couch.

"Regina, she has to be our priority-"

"No I know. And she is, believe me she is but.. this can't be her home if it isn't actually mine," Regina explained, although she winced at how that sounded. She had rehearsed this conversation over and over again in her head, but now that she was staring into Robin's eyes, all of the words she had practiced escaped her mind.

"Wh- Regina, what are you talking about?" Robin said, looking more concerned than Regina wanted him to.

"No, no, nothing has happened," Regina said smiling. She caressed his face with her hand and laughed and buried her head in her hands.

"Eugh this is so not how I wanted this to go!" she mumbled into her hands, mortified that the one time she wanted to show Robin how she felt, she messed it up. Royally. But Robin quickly took her hands and smiled at her.

"How you wanted what to go?" Robin laughed.

"Umm.. okay," Regina said as she tried to stop laughing and looked into Robin's eyes. "Listen to me, after everything we have been through and losing you again and then getting you back and then losing you again… what I mean is I don't ever want to lose you again. I want to fall asleep in your arms every single night, I want to wake up beside you every day, I want to see you walk our kids to school, ummm-" Regina fumbled, trying to make him understand how much she wanted him to stay here.

"Regina what are you asking me?" Robin laughed, as he rubbed her leg in an attempt to calm her nerves even though he actually found it rather adorable that she was getting so flustered.

"I want you to move in here. This house isn't home anymore, not without you and Roland-" but before she could finish the sentence her lips was otherwise occupied. Robin ran his fingers through her hair in a tantalising way, and Regina couldn't help but smile at his excitement.

"I'll take that as a yes then," Regina laughed as she kissed his nose before staring into the eyes that now exuded an abundance of joy.

"Oh do you? Well I have certain requirements," he joked as he stroked her face.

"And what might they be?" she said as she failed to stop a happy yet flirtatious smile from spread across her face.

"Well one, I like breakfast in bed," and then he kissed her head.

"And hot baths," he said as he kissed her nose.

"And lots," he said as he kissed her lips softly.

"And lots," he said as he kissed her lips hungrily.

"Of sleep," he said, now smiling that it was Regina who was kissing him, with as much passion and desire as he felt burning inside of him. As his hands began to roam to places he needed so desperately to touch there was a shout from upstairs.

"Eugh really!" Robin said, annoyed that the moment he had eagerly anticipated for weeks was ruined by a mere knock on the door. Regina simply laughed and called upstairs.

"What is it?"

"It's Esme! She fainted!" they heard Henry shout and so they immediately ran upstairs. Once they had ascended the stairs, they found Esme, collapsed on the floor with her pyjamas on and a towel wrapped around her head, and they immediately fell to the floor next to her. They tried desperately to wake her up, but nothing worked.


	15. Chapter 15

_The world gradually began to become clear one and Esme saw that she was standing outside Regina's house; although the sky was black, the warm glow from the light on the porch ensured the white house looked welcoming and warm. There was no sound except the deep drum of crickets and the gentle rustle of bushed as the wind blew through them and Esme found herself enjoying the fact that the entire scene oozed serenity and her Esme with a sense of calm she hadn't felt in quite some time. Incredible as it was, Esme couldn't quite shake the terrible thought that it was all too good to be true; in Storybrooke there was always some disaster that was right around the corner so this was clearly the calm before some storm. It was then that it all began. Just as Esme was about to step into the yard that looked so peaceful, it was suddenly bathed in a harsh green light which Esme attributed to the huge beam of green light that had manifested in the distance, the one that stretched all the way up to the dark black clouds that had gathered overhead. She remained at the gate of the house, confused as to what was happening, but she heard a horrific, blood curdling scream come from around the same area as the portal and Esme ran. She ran as fast as her legs could take her but within seconds of her beginning to run, the huge beam of light that had lit the path for her disappeared; it was a portal. Esme wasn't sure why, but she couldn't stop, that scream was still ringing in her ears, and so even though she had no idea where she was running to, the person behind the terrible scream that she heard needed her; so she just kept running. She ran until she got to the clock tower and then was forced to stop when her heart let to her mouth._

 _"_ _Zoe," Esme whispered to herself as her head began to spin. This couldn't be right. She couldn't be here. There had always been signs before. But it was. Her long, blond hair was wrapped into her signature plait crown, that ensured to wrap itself around her actual crown, her clothing was was indigenous to Messene and, even though her back was to Esme, Esme could tell there was an evil smirk that likens itself to a cat who finally caught its mouse. As she studied Zoe further, trying to convince herself that it wasn't her, Esme realised was something at her feet; a foot. Zoe's body was shielding who it was, and it was too dark to really see, but there was definitely someone on the floor; and all Esme could do was stand and stare._

 _"_ _Come on now Esmerelda. Don't i get a hello? After all, i have been searching for you for quite some time," Zoe said as she turned around and a loathsome smile spread across her face, and with that smile, all of Esme personal progression receded, and she digressed into being the terrified, lonely girl she was long before she came to Storybrooke._

 _"_ _How did you find me?" was all Esme could muster, and even with that, it came out of her mouth in a pathetic tone that emphasised how terrified she was. Her useless attempt at conversation amused Zoe, and her sickeningly green eyes lit up with a sig she could see Esme's heart sink to the pit of her stomach._

 _"_ _You have you're connections here. I have mine," Zoe teased as she began to walk around the body she had been guarding._

 _"_ _Although, i suppose you may have one less now," Zoe teased as she shot Esme a sarcastic look that resembled the look a child gave his parent when he made a mistake, but what she said was enough to stop Esme's heart. The person on the floor was one of Esme's 'connections', that's what she said. Henry? Roland?_

 _"_ _Oh don't worry my dear, my mother died when i was young and look at me? I turned out just fine," Zoe teased, elongating the 'just fine' part of the sentence and with that she smiled with utter glee as she saw Esme's eyes fill with tears and her knees grew weak. Happy she had diminished the girls spirit just enough, she poofed away into the night air and left her there._

 _"_ _My m- my mother," Esme cried. This was all her fault; she brought Zoe here, she brought this on Regina. The boys. Oh god, she had made them lose their mother. And Robin. Oh poor Robin, he lost the other love of his life and it was all down to her._

 _"_ _Oh pull yourself together little girl, she was collateral damage," Zoe's said, as her voice echoed through the streets._

 _"_ _C..Collateral damage?" Esme cried, even though she knew that Zoe wasn't there to hear it. How could she do that? Be there but not be there? She had never been able to do that before; she was stronger._

 _"_ _This isn't real. This can't be real," Esme repeated to herself as she desperately tried to run towards Regina, but just when she was close enough, she wished she hadn't because when she saw Regina's face, with her eyes staring at her, it felt like her body couldn't physically remain standing._

 _"_ _Nooooo!" Esme screamed, as her heart felt like it was being ripped form her chest, and she felt like she was going to be sick. She couldn't stand any more, and when her knees gave way, she fell beside her mother but gasped at how cold her hand was. She had to do something; she couldn't just let her lie there on the cold, wet pavement on this dark, stormy night, all by herself and so she lifted her mother's torso and cradled her mother's head like she saw her mother cradle her._

 _She slowly ran her hands along her mother's perfect, porcelain skin and watched as her tears fell onto her mother's deathly white face, and cascaded down her colourless cheeks._

 _"_ _Please don't be dead. Please, come on you can't leave me. I promise i'll do better, i'll try harder, just please don't leave me. Regina? Regina!" Esme sobbed._

"Regina? Regina!" Esme felt herself mumbling as she slowly woke up. She was lying on a soft, luxurious bed, that much she knew, but other than that, she wasn't very aware of her surroundings. The walls were a sage colour, with beautiful white furniture and Esme smiled as she noticed the dresser was decorated with at least eight pictures of Henry throughout the various stages in his life. The one thing she did recognise was the white mouldings; this was definitely Regina's house. That was all the information she needed; she was certain that she had had a vision, but she desperately needed to make sure Regina was safe.

"Regina? Regina!" Esme called as she slowly tried to get up out of the bed. As usual, her head felt dizzy and she was a lot weaker than she usually was but that didn't matter; seeing Regina lying on the dank ground like that put everything in perspective. She had been worrying for weeks about facing her mother, and complained about the lack of a relationship between the two of them but when Esme was faced with the possibility of losing her, Esme was destroyed. She could remember thinking of all the things she wouldn't get to do or say to Regina and she was devastated. She remembered everything Regina had went through, everything she had survived, yet Esme didn't give her the time of day, she didn't even give her a hug, and she was consumed by regret as she sat at the edge of the bed. Esme knew it would take time, but she was tired of complaining about a relationship that wasn't there; her vision made her realise that there was nothing she wanted more than to make one.

"Regina? Regina!" Esme cried again, this time wishing with every bone in her body that she heard a reply. She tried to stand up but her legs felt like jelly and so she was forced to return to the comfort of the fluffy white bed, and as she did so, a figure appeared in the doorway. There she was; a very concerned Regina. She was panting slightly having run up the stairs but she looked healthy; concerned, but happy. Regina ran into the room in seconds and wrapped her arms around Esme, only this time, Esme stood up returned the gesture. As Esme's head rested on her shoulder, Regina couldn't prevent the smile from spreading across her face; she had been waiting for this moment since the second she woke up. She dreamt of Esme almost every night; she dreamt of the conversations they would have, the shopping trips they would take or the spells they would cast. Yet prior to tonight, she felt that they were exactly that: dreams. Esme seemed so distant now that she knew they were her parents - she actually seemed more welcoming when she didn't know - and Regina didn't blame her for that, she just wished she could somehow open herself up to the idea of being looked after, of being loved. Regina saw a lot of herself in Esme, and dreaded to think of what made her so lonely, but she didn't want Esme to end up like her, and now that Regina was there for her, she wouldn't let that happen. Both Robin and Regina understood that Esme would have dozens of questions, and they discussed them at length when they were in hospital, but the only thing they wanted her to truly know was that even though they couldn't raise her, that doesn't mean they don't love her.

"I'm so sorry," Esme said as she buried her head in her mothers neck, seeking great comfort in the familiar smell of the musky perfume she generously doused herself in every morning. The relief she felt was overwhelming and when she was with Regina and in her arms, she felt like she wasn't alone in the world, and that was a feeling she had only ever dreamt about.

"What? What for?" Regina said as she held Esme's face in her hands, and noticed how, this time, Esme didn't recoil at her touch.

"She's coming," Esme said but before she knew it, she was crying. In that moment, she allowed herself to be vulnerable, to relinquish some control and simply cried as Regina soothed her, held her and rocked her till she stopped.

"Shhhh, it's okay. Everything going to be just fine," Regina soothed as she stroked Esme's long, brown, damp hair.

"No it's not," Esme said, raising her head from Regina's shoulder and staring into huge brown eyes that now had life in them.

"Who's coming, Esme?" Regina said with a calmness that frustrated Esme. She didn't want to tell Regina about her vision, but she had to do something to make sure she understood the threat Zoe posed; she was ruthless, felt absolutely no remorse and had a carefully selected and incredibly powerful inner circle. Although they were always taught that magic didn't exist in Messene, Esme suspected that at least two of her five closest advisors were witches and she knew that two were psychics and one was an empath, as they were sent by Zoe to encourage Esme to join her; all were completely devoted to her so she never needed to get her hands dirty.

"Zoe. We have to get ready we have to-" Esme said as she started to get up from the bed but Regina held her hands and puled her back down again.

"Is that what your vision was about?" Regina asked.

"Yes. She found me and she's coming. You need to help me pract-" Esme said as she tried standing up, only to be sat back down Regina, again.

"Well we aren't practicing anything two seconds after you wake up after passing out, so there's no rush. Did you see just her?" Regina replied.

"I only saw her, yeah but-"

"Oh hunny, i've killed worse than her before breakfast," Regina laughed.

"No Regina, you don't understand. With or without her cronies, she is a monster. I have seen that woman slaughter villages with just a handful of men as an army. I've seen her torture innocent people with her bare hands. She is evil to her core and she will kill everyone who stands in her way," Esme said as she unwittingly tightened her grip of Regina's hands.

"In her way of what?" Regina asked, removing her hand from Esme's painfully tight grip before carefully taking her daughters hand in hers.

"Me."

"And what exactly is her obsession with you?" Regina asked. Esme sighed, as she knew it was a very long story, but she also understood that to keep Regina safe, she needed to know everything so that's what Esme would do.

"There was talk of her half of Messene revolting. Cyrus, her brother, was a fair ruler and his half of the island was thriving whilst Zoe was pushing our side into an economic depression. People were starving in the streets while she decorated her palace with ornate decorations and draped herself in diamonds and jewels. When she heard i was a seer, she initially isolated me so that i couldn't expose magic to the people, but when they developed, she thought i could compel the entire island to follow her,"

"Eugh Idiot. The amount of power that would take-"

"Yeah but that's a very rational answer for a psychopath like her so that didn't cross her mind. Look you just have to let me deal with her okay? I'll practice and i'll deal with her but you can't go near her okay?"

"Esme, i-"

"Promise me!" Esme shouted. She felt bad that Regina looked so shocked at her outburst, but she needed her to understand the danger she was in without her having to tell her about the vision. This plan would also have worked if Regina wasn't such a good mother; she saw right through Esme's pathetic attempt at trying to dance around the truth.

"What exactly happened in your vision?"

"What? What makes you-"

"Okay i know i've been under a memory spell the last, what thirty-ish years, but i wasn't born yesterday. So tell me, what happened, hmm?" Regina said as she stroked Esme's cheek, revelling in the fact she could now do so without Esme squirming in discomfort.

"Regina-" Esme began but Regina was just as determined to hear the truth as Esme was was to hide it.

"Tell me."

"She killed you. I heard you scream, and i tried to help, i swear but i got there too late and.." Esme said but she struggled to get the words out as the images of Regina's beaten body forced themselves into her brain and suddenly the strength she had been instilled with left her body again, and tears pricked her eyes, which Regina promptly wiped away.

"We will practice in the morning. But right now, you should rest," Regina said, as she stood up and extended her hand for Esme to use to steady herself, which she did. She then lowered herself into bed and smiled at how comforting she found it when Regina pulled the covers up around her.

"I'm actually kind of hungry. Is there any of Granny's lasagne left?"

"That was Granny's? Funny, i thought it tasted bitter," Regina mumbled to herself and Esme couldn't help but laugh at the bickering the two women did even when they weren't together.

"Umm yeah. Did the boys eat it all?"

"I'm sure we can get you a piece," Regina said with a smile. "I'll just get your Da- Robin to heat it up for you. I'll bring it up okay?" Regina said.

"Perfect. And.… ummm…. thanks. Ya know, for the whole…. comforting thing," Esme said, to which Regina simply smiled at and left. She did close the door after she left, but that was utterly pointless because within seconds of it closing, Henry and Roland came sprinting through the door and jumped straight onto the bed Esme was getting comfortable in.

"Hey! You better not have eaten all that lasagne," she said as they both wrapped her into huge bear hugs.

"We didn't!" Roland giggled as Esme tickled him. "We left you the biggest piece. The Doctor said you would need some for when you woke up."

"The doctor?" Esme asked, as she looked at Henry for an answer.

"Mom was worried when you didn't wake up after like 10 minutes so she kinda… well, made him come," Henry explained as he reclined on the right side of Esme while Roland lay on her left.

"Why did you fall asleep?" Roland asked.

"I was just really tired, sweetie. But i'm better now," she said and placed her arm around his shoulder and he snuggled onto her belly.

"How's the invalid?" Robin said, after he knocked the open door and stood in the doorway awkwardly.

"I'm fine, thanks," Esme said as she tried to sit up in the bed, but her stomach gargled and gave away how she truly felt; starving.

"She's hungry," Henry said, as he patted her stomach. Esme laughed and playfully slapped away his hand, just as Regina came through the door with a gorgeous, steamy piece of lasagne which Esme wasted no time tucking right into. When she paused for a momentary breath, she looked up and realised something; her entire family was here and she actually felt happy. She wasn't naive she fully understood that being a part of this family was going to take some time, and that that maybe wasn't something she had an awful lot left of, but she also knew that it was what she wanted. She wanted her picture to be on the dresser, she wanted the walks in the park and the family dinners. For the first time in her life, she realised that she wasn't alone in this big bad world, and she wanted it to stay that way.


	16. Chapter 16

Everyone stayed in Regina and Robin's room for the remainder of the evening and Esme couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much; the entire evening was filled with jokes and imitations and laughter. Although it was yet to be entirely eliminated, most of the worry Esme felt about feeling awkward around her parents dissipated; once Roland and Henry went to bed, Regina and Robin stayed with Esme and all three of them simply talked. They talked about when Esme got her powers, what happened when she was in the tower and Esme found herself telling them both things she never imagined she would, and she actually found it easy to do so; it felt like sharing her problems made them seem an awful lot less daunting. As she told them her stories, she saw the worry and pain in their faces at the sad parts, the joy in their faces at the happy ones and it was through their conversations that she realised they truly cared about her. She had seen glimpses of it prior to now, but somehow, the very thing she was afraid of (spending some time alone with them both) was actually what she needed. As they shared stories, Esme found her eyes beginning to sting but she genuinely didn't want their time together to end; she couldn't understand why, but she the more she shared, the closer she felt she became to them both an, although it seemed silly, she was worried that her awkwardness would return if she left the conversation for another day. She would have talked all night if she could, but she wanted to prepare for Zoe coming (her visions were never particularly detailed, but they were never wrong) and so she would need as much strength and practice as she could muster, and that meant sleep. Thankfully, whenever Esme yawned Robin, who was sitting with his back against the base of the bed, looked to the clock on his right and noticed it was now 2am.

"My goodness, look at the time. No wonder you're yawning, you should rest," he said as he stood up.

"Yeah thanks. Umm Regina can we practice tomorrow?" Esme said, as she watched Regina remove her head from Robins lap and join him at the door.

"Of course. What is ti you want to practice?" Regina said, elated that Esme was now more open to spending time with her and actually including her in her life. It was something that only yesterday seemed like a dream, so she would take any and all opportunities to make it a reality.

"Just magic. I don't want to use my seer powers on either of you when you're still coming out of being compelled," Esme said in a very business like tone that made Robin smile.

"Why are you smiling?" Esme laughed, to which Regina whirled around and saw the smile that had spread across Robins face.

"Yes, why are you smiling?" Regina asked.

"No reason!" Robin said as he began to walk towards Esme, but he couldn't suppress the laugh that escaped his mouth when he received almost identical looks from both Esme and Regina.

"It's just- you are both so alike. Get some rest, " Robin explained before he kissed Esme on the head and walked towards the door again.

"Wait, this is your room, is it not? Where are you guys gonna sleep?" Esme asked as Regina began to walk towards her. She couldn't quite explain why, but the nerves she felt prior to her vision were gone, and so whenever her mother kissed her head, Esme smiled at its warmth as opposed to squirmed at her touch. When Regina and Robin left, Esme closed her eyes and dwelled on the thought that she would rather love and have the possibility of loss than die having never known their love, and with that thought, she fell asleep so quickly, she couldn't even remember them leaving.

"Esme! Esme!"

Esme woke up to screams. It had been three weeks since her vision about Regina, and every moment of every day, Esme jumped at the slightest sound. Every single morning, she woke at the same time as the boys and while Robin walked them both to school, Regina and Esme practiced Esme's magic. Regina started them off with some easier spells, but Esme had been practicing the easier spells for weeks, and she needed something stronger, something that could stop Zoe and her powerful pack of mindless morons. So once a week had passed, and Esme was confident that Regina was impressed with her defensive and protective spells, Esme suggested Regina taught her some of the more powerful spells; so she did. By the end of the second week, Esme was not only growing in power, but in confidence, and so by week 3, the two were throwing all types of enchantments and spells at each other; Esme actually really enjoyed herself. Not the power part, it actually kind of scared her to see what she was capable of, but the magic thing was something she and Regina could do together, without anyone else being involved. Making sure that they spent time together, even amidst all the madness that seemed to follow them, made this family close, and now that Esme and Regina had been spending more time together, she began to feel a small part of that. With Robin, Esme had always found it easy to relate to him, to be close; their sense of humour was the same, they were both fairly affectionate people and Esme found herself in awe of his kindness and strength. But with Regina, she had struggled. Initially she saw a terrifying woman, not unlike Zoe; anytime Esme thought she could see a redeemable quality in her, Regina ensured Esme viewed her as a foe, not a friend. During their compelling sessions, Esme began to understand why Regina was the way she was, but it felt like anytime they got close, Regina pushed her away; like she wanted to keep her at arms length. But when the compelling enchantment broke, Regina flipped, and began to look at Esme and talk to her the way she did Henry and even Roland, and it was that aspect that she struggled with; with Robin, their was little change in his behaviour, only love, but with Regina, her entire character flipped. She always found that so odd and it was that change in her character that Esme found hard to deal with; she knew how to be around Regina when she was Regina the mayor or even The Evil Queen, but she wasn't sure how to act around Regina when she was Regina the mom. But getting to spend time with her, seeing the joy in her face when Esme mastered a particularly hard spell, or laughing when Esme got frustrated when she couldn't, made Esme realise that it wasn't Regina's behaviour making things awkward, it was hers. She watched Regina's joy turn to utter terror when she thought Esme hadn't deflected a spell and the sadness in her eyes when she saw a small bruise she had caused on Esme's arm. She saw how truly interested she was when Esme told her stories of Messene and saw how pleased she was to share stories of her own. Those three weeks not only made Esme's magic stronger, it bonded her and Regina in ways Esme didn't think would be possible.

"Esmerelda!" screamed a voice that Esme distinctly noticed was Robin's. Esme woke up immediately, startled by the terror that was behind every scream. Whenever she looked out, she noticed it was still pitch black outside, but before she could find the light switch she heard another scream of her name and it was that that truly terrified her; even though it was something Esme thought only happened in movies, she knew that when she was called 'Esmerelda', there was something wrong. Seriously wrong. It was then that she bolted up out of bed luxurious white bed and ran straight the downstairs, but on her way down, she noticed that the large, glass panelled front door was lying open and everything was eerily silent.

"Regina? Robin?" Esme called, worried as to why nobody was calling her name any longer.

"We're in here!" Esme heard Henry shout but she wasn't sure where they were. She continued to descend down the extravagant, white marble staircase and looked around Regina and Robin's hallway, only to notice that every door was lying open except for the one that led to Regina's office and so she rushed to that door. However, when she put her hand to it, she felt a sharp spark that ran all the way up her arm, like electricity was flowing through her veins for a mere moment, and immediately pulled her hand away in shock.

"Regina did you cast a spell on this?" a very confused Esme called into the room. Why would Regina lock her out?

"Mom isn't here. She went to the town square," Henry replied. This confused Esme even more, but just as she was about to open the door, Robin shouted.

"There's no use opening it! Regina cast a spell, we can't get out."

"What? How long was i asleep?!" Esme shouted.

"She cast it to protect us. She saw a portal and thought it was Zel-" Robin continued but the mere mention of the word portal sent Esme's head into a spin.

"A portal? You're sure?" Esme asked.

"Yes? Why?" Robin continued.

"Stay there!" Esme shouted and with that she turned to run out the door, however her rescue mission was halted whenever Robin threw open the door and tried to run out after her, only to be thrown back by Regina's protection spell.

"Esmerelda don't you dare!" a very angry Robin shouted as he stood up and totally disregarded the things on Regina's desk that he had knocked over.

"I have to! She can't go alone!" Esme tried to explain but Robin continued to through himself against the invisible door Regina had placed to protect her family, and it was then that it suddenly dawned on her. She know that they weren't like normal mothers and daughters, but Esme truly didn't believe that Regina would have woken up Henry and Roland to protect them, but leave Esme totally defenceless. What if it wasn't just that door.

"No.." Esme whispered to herself as she ran towards the open front door, and her worst fears were realised whenever she ran into an invisible force field that flung her the entire length of the hallway.

A chorus of 'sissy' or 'Esme' chimed from the room but very quickly stopped when Esme returned to her feet almost immediately. She didn't even look a little hurt; she actually looked furious. Her body language was tense and her hair was messy as it fell out of the bun it was usually in when she fell asleep but it was her eyes that gave her away; they were calculating her options, trying to figure out a way out, angry that she could do nothing.

"Esme you can't get out!" Henry said.

"I have to!" Esme screamed as she began to pace the hallway, trying to figure out what how she was going to get. Every second she stayed here was a second that Regina was possibly alone with Zoe and her inner circle, and Esme couldn't and wouldn't let that happen.

"Esme, she can handle Zelena. She's a good witch," Henry explained, completely unaware that in his attempt to calm everyone down, he gave Esme an idea.

"She is… She is a good witch, and a good witch covers her tracks, but a better one, can uncover them," Esme said. Regina had taught Esme every protection charm there was, and in doing so, she told her that there almost always had to be a scapegoat in case anything went wrong, and so Esme began looking for Regina's.

"What-" Robin said but Esme needed to concentrate.

"Shhhh!"

"Bu-"

"Shhhh!" Esme insisted as she stared at the door. Regina typically used blood magic in her protection charms, meaning that ultimately only she could enter or leave the protected area. But Esme had some of Regina's blood running through her veins, so maybe if Esme used her own, she could override Regina's spell, at least in one small area.

"Regina would have been in a hurry, and so she probably only used a typical protection spell-" Esme began to say to herself as she made her way through the dark house to the kitchen.

"What are you-" Robin tried to ask but Esme didn't need his distraction. Besides, he would not be pleased at her plan, and so it was best he didn't know until she had actually done it.

"Shh!"

"But your-"

"I said shhhh!" Esme said as she rummaged through the drawers and found a small sharp knife. She wasn't sure exactly how she was going to do it, but Regina had taught her that any spell was possible so long as you believe you can do it and so she was hoping that that advice was enough. When Robin saw her approach the front door with the small knife in her hand, the anger and frustration he felt around ten seconds before hand returned and he began doing the only thing he could do form inside his bubble; shout.

"Esmerelda Hood! Stop whatever it is you're doing right now!"

"I'm just-"

"Stop it now! I don't want you anywhere near that portal, do you understand? It is bad enough that your mother is out there, i am not having you anywhere near it!" Robin said with such conviction in his voice and fear in his eyes that Esme actually felt bad that she was soon going to disappoint him.

"Don't worry," and with that she slowly pricked her finger and placed the blood along the window at the door. She watched as the spell seemed to absorb it, making it look like her blood flowed through the window in vein like patterns and when she saw it reach the top, she slowly squeezed her way through. She wasn't sure how on earth she did it, and she knew Robin was furious she had managed it, but somehow, she had squeezed through the window and was out in the open, so she ran. She ran through Regina's perfectly maintained garden, she tramped through every muddy puddle last nights rain had left and she sprinted down every dark ally Storybrooke had to offer, all in an attempt to get to Regina before Zoe did.

As Esme was running, the portal disappeared, just like in her vision, but when the town centre finally came within view, Esme was relieved to see that the scene greeting her was not the one she had seen a few weeks ago. Instead of the street being deserted, except for Regina and Zoe, it was full of people; so full that Esme didn't actually see Regina.

"Regina?!" Esme called as she ran towards the crowd, all of whom were now looking at her. It seemed like the whole town was here, except Regina, and so the relief Esme felt when Granny pushed her way through the crowd was indescribable. That was, however, until Esme noticed the look on her faced that screamed pity, and it was then that Esme began to panic.

"Granny? Where's Regina?" Esme asked in as polite a way as possible while also asserting that she wanted to truth. Now.

"Maybe we should-" Granny said, as she slowly wrapped Esme's arm in hers and tried to pull her towards the cafe so that they could talk away from the eyes and ears of every town gossip, but Esme refused, and stopped granny in her tracks.

"Zelena took her through that portal."

"Wh-What? That's not possible.." Esme said as she tried to figure out how the hell this happened. You needed magic, and lots of it, to create a portal. Even if Zelena had somehow managed to escape prison and get the cuff that prevented her form casting spells off, she would never have had the resources to create one. Not alone. And then it hit her. If someone had a desired destination, they needed someone to be able to open or close the portal at that location. It was Zelena who had summoned her from Messene, to Storybrooke. If she had Zoe's help, or at least one of Zoe's witches help, it would have been easy for her to simply reopen the portal. All of this gobbledygook led Esme to one, sickening conclusion: Regina was in Messene.


	17. Chapter 17

After a few moments of blankly staring into space, and once Esme began to process the fact that Regina was in Messene, she began to question the events surrounding the portal. The street was mayhem; most people were gossiping amongst themselves, and those that weren't were asking Esme questions that she simply didn't have the answers to - ones that she was asking herself. Firstly, Zelena had a cuff on - a magical cuff that prevented her from using any sort of magic - so how did she even manage to open the portal when she wasn't even supposed to have magic? Granted, opening a portal was much easier than creating one, but it should still have been impossible with the cuff on her wrist. Secondly, she was in prison; a very high security prison. Regina had given Zelena a pre-approved, minuscule list of visitors which consisted of herself, Robin, Dr Whale and the guards at the prison; no other communication was allowed. However, for her to have opened the portal in Storybrooke, it must have been opened in Messene as well but for that to happen, some sort of communication would have to have been carried out. None of this made sense.

"Esme? Esme?" Snow said softly as she cradled baby Neal in her arms and carefully touched Esme's arm.

"Oh, sorry! What happened?" Esme asked as she stared at the scorch mark the portal had left. The shock she initially felt was gradually being surpassed by a deep anger, the kind of anger Esme could feel brewing and bubbling deep within her. Why wouldn't Regina let her help? Esme specifically told her to stay away from any and all portals, but she didn't. So now Esme had to go home and tell two very worried little boys and a terrified man that Regina had been sucked through a portal, to a land she had told them horror stories about, by a woman Esme had only ever called a monster.

"I'm so sorry-"

"What happened, Snow?!" Esme snapped. It wasn't like her to lose her temper, not at all, but she could almost feel her blood boiling and all she wanted was an answer. She knew that Snow was trying to help, just like everyone who was hugging her or rubbing her arm was trying to help and she was grateful for their efforts but she didn't want their pitying looks, nor did she want their sympathy; she wanted to find out why Zoe sucked Regina into a portal instead of her and exactly what Zelena had to do with it. However, even with Esme feeling so angry, Esme didn't like seeing Snow look shocked, and she certainly didn't like it when Snow felt that she should hide her hurt.

"I'm sorry," Esme said as she patted Snows arm before stroking little Neal gently on his cherubic chubby cheek.

"This is just so… not what i need right now," Esme said as she laughed slightly and rubbed her eyes, trying to relieve her eyes of the exhaustion that was steadily setting in.

"I know honey, i'm so sorry," Snow said, with the same, warm expression that she always had.

"Can you please just tell me what happened? The sooner i know, the sooner i can get her back," Esme explained, as she slowly walked with Snow and David to one of the outside tables at Granny's; a quieter place where they could actually talk, and the fairy lights that Granny had delicately hung around the trellis made the scene a lot more soothing. Snow refrained from discussing tonights events until they were all sat down around the table, but the second they were there and they were no longer within earshot of every town gossip that Storybook had to offer, Snow quickly began to relay the details of what happened.

"We were sitting in Granny's when it started. There was a huge crash from the prison and before we knew it Zelena had zapped herself into the diner. She started taunting Granny-"

"Taunting Granny? Why?" Esme asked.

"Zelena's evil; she doesn't need a reason," David pointed out, a fact that Esme quickly nodded in agreement to.

"She started saying how she hoped Granny hadn't gotten too attached. How one granddaughter had left her, and now she would lose you too," Snow said tentatively, unsure as to whether she should be quite so honest with Esme; after all, she was only a young woman who already had the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"Then why did Zoe take Regina instead of me?" Esme asked, talking more to herself than to Snow in a desperate attempt to try figure out what was happening.

"Zoe? Who's Zoe?"

"The woman i've been running from. I think that's who Zelena has taken Regina to-"

"What? No, sweetie i think you've misunderstood. Zelena didn't go through the portal with Regina, a man did," Snow explained.

"What? But Granny said that Zelena took Regina through the portal? A man?" Esme asked, utterly bemused; if the first version of events hadn't confused her, this second version most certainly had.

"She tried to, and would have done if the man hadn't come through first. He snatched Regina from Zelena and went straight through the portal again. It was closed within seconds. I've never seen Zelena so furious, so that clearly wasn't part of her plan, but she disappeared in her cloud of smoke before any of us could do anything," David explained, but Esme didn't really listen to anything after she heard the world 'man'. She was so sure that everything that had transpired this evening was due to Zoe, and with that, Esme at least had a face to direct all of her anger at and she at least knew where to look. But 'a man' didn't give Esme anything to go off; nothing at all.

"What did this man look like?" Esme asked. "The one that took Regina. Hair colour, clothes, anything," Esme pleaded but Snow simply gave her a bemused look.

"Umm, well he had black hair, it was greying slightly at the sides. He had a taupe tunic kind of thing on-"

"Did he have a purple sash around him?" Esme asked, allowing herself to feel the tiniest piece of hope.

"What? Umm yes i think-" Snow said but before she could utter the rest of the sentence Esme had bolted up and was walking, or marching, straight back into the crowd she had wanted to escape from mere moments ago. She heard Snow and David call her name but she didn't care; she wasn't sure why but she knew, or at least she thought she did. There was only one way to find out: she had to open the portal.

She had always had help when she needed to create portals, as she never had enough power to do so on her own, but opening portals was different; it was a relatively simple spell once you knew the destination.

"And just what do you think you're doing young lady?" Esme heard someone say before she felt a sharp tug of her arm and she was forced to stop moving, even thought she was only a few feet away from where she needed to be. When she spun around, mostly in anger, she saw that it was Granny who was gripping her arm; and she didn't look happy.

"I know where she is Granny. I can help her," Esme tried to explain but Granny was having none of it.

"And exactly how much use will you be when you're taken and imprisoned? And thats the best case scenario," Granny insisted, unrelenting in her grip of Esme's delicate arm.

"How do you-"

"The clothes, they were the same kind of thing you wore when you first got her and stole my pie," Granny said with a sly smile.

"Honey, you came here because you were running from that place. You can't just go marching back," Granny continued, hoping that she could somehow change the girls mind.

"I have to, Granny," Esme said as she continued to try and reassure Granny, but her vein attempt was met with a hostile reception and a particular confused and angry expression, so Esme continued.

"The only reason Regina ever got mixed up in all of this is because of me. I know, Granny. I know what it's like there and i can't just leave her there. I'm sorry but i can't. Henry's already lost one mom, so has Roland and Robin..- Robin can't lose her. He just can't-"

"And what about you? How do you think they would feel if they lost you," Granny stated and Esme stopped rambling. She loved her family, with every fibre in her body, and she knew that they loved her, but not in the same way that they loved Regina. They needed her, and she needed them.

"Granny listen to me," Esme said as she took Granny's hand in hers, "you need to let me go. I can't just leave her there, okay? I owe it to her and them to bring her home," Esme explained.

"And how exactly are you going to do that, hmm?" Granny hissed, increasingly frustrated that Esme was so willing to put herself in such terrible danger, for a woman Granny wasn't entirely convinced would afford Esme the same courtesy. The woman was cold, damaged and evil; she was going to let Esme down sooner or later, and Granny would rather she didn't do so in a life or death situation like the one Esme was moments away from entering.

"Regina! Esme!" someone called, and immediately the entire gaggle of gossips turned their heads and watched as a dishevelled Robin sprinted down the main street. Esme escaped Granny's grip, pushed herself through the crowd and met Robin.

"What the- How the hell did you get out of the house?" Esme asked seconds before Robin pulled her close and held her so tight, Esme could hardly breath as her nose was pressed so tightly against his chest.

"The spell wore off. The boys are with little John" he said as he pushed her forward slightly and held her shoulders, reassuring himself that she wasn't hurt, an action Esme noticed.

"I'm fine," Esme explained.

"Thank god. Where's Regina?" Robin said, but the second he saw Esme look to her right, he knew that the answer to that question wouldn't make him quite so happy.

"Don't worry, i'm gonna fix it," was all Esme could say. She just couldn't tell him that she was in Messene. She had sat with him on the couch in Regina's lounge, with beautiful, strong British tea in their hands and the soft glow of the fire illuminating their faces, and she talked about Messene. She told him about how orphans were all kept in one, huge house. She explained to him about how they were educated from a young age, and were separated depending on what you were strongest at; math, art, science or sport. Esme never reached that far; she aged much slower than the rest of the girls, she didn't possess any strong talent in any of the categories and her powers had began to show and so she was sent to the Empress's palace. She was tested there, questioned and eventually sent to the tower. There she was shackled and starved in Zoe's psychotic attempt to 'train' her. Robin knew all of this, she had told him, and she couldn't bring herself to tell him that that place - that horrible, dark place - was where Regina was. So she didn't. Her declaration was met with a confused expression, but Esme didn't care because the second the words left her mouth, she marched to the place where the portal had been. She had seen a witch open a portal before, and ever since she had had the vision, she had read every single book there was on portals and had found the one the witch used. It wasn't much of a plan but it was all Esme had, and so she ran to the site where the portal was, hoped that there was still residual energy, and re-sited the incantation.

" _Ego praecipio tibi ut aperias porta,_ " Esme chanted as she stood on the site where the portal had left a black scorch mark on the ground. Nothing happened. No wind blew, no lightening roared and no portal came.

"Esme get back here-" Robin said as she pushed his way towards her but she didn't dare look at him. He would be terrified, his face would have sickening worry carved into every line in his face and Esme didn't want to see him like that, so she used a spell and pushed him, and everyone else, away from around the portal.

" _Ego praecipio tibi ut aperias porta. Ego praecipio tibi ut aperias porta. Ego praecipio tibi ut aperias porta,_ " Esme chanted only this time, she felt something. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but with every repetition of the phrase, she could almost feel the power flow through her veins and into the ground. As she continued to chant, the wind began to pick up and Esme knew that she was close. With a mixture of excitement and dread, she chanted the phrase three more times before she was eventually thrown backwards towards the crowd and a terrific beam of light soared into the clouds and screeched as its power escaped with every second that passed by. Esme landed flat on her butt, and was winded slightly by the force of her fall, but none of that mattered when she saw Robin run into the light.

"No! No!" Esme screamed but it was too late, he disappeared into the portal and Esme was filled with dread; she couldn't lose them both. No way, no how. She wouldn't lose them both. The portal needed a persons energy to feed off; once it had that, it would close. So Esme knew that she had approximately 5 seconds to get off the ground and sprint to the portal; and so she did. Before her brain even registered what Esme was doing, and despite the desperate cries from the Charmings and Granny, Esme was on her feet and as she saw the brightness from the portal dim, she lunged through the beam of energy and soared as the energy from the portal engulfed her.

She felt as if she had been falling for hours. The sensation was odd; it wasn't enjoyable, nor was it hateful. She did hate the sickening feeling she got in the pit of her stomach, but she loved how oddly free she felt - like a bird, soaring through the clouds at full speed. The sensation of freedom felt timeless - like it was hours long yet also only seeming like mere seconds - and so Esme wasn't sure how long she had been falling, but that didn't necessarily matter when she eventually, and promptly, felt ground beneath her feet and the wind that had been racing through her hair stopped. She had to close her eyes as she was being transported, the force of the wind was too much for them, yet when she opened them, she noticed Robin around one foot away from where she had landed .

"Robin!" Esme said as she scrambled to meet him. She had never been so relieved and angry to see someone, yet the warmth she felt from his strong embrace made her forget about the danger she knew that they were in; it made her feel safe.

"What are you doing here?" Robin whispered as he held her head so close to him, hoping to somehow prevent her from seeing where they were.

"What am i doing here?!" Esme asked in a volume much louder than her fathers, forcing herself to pull away from the safety of his arms and look him in the eye. This was never supposed to happen; Esme was supposed to get Regina home and Robin was supposed to be safely in Storybook with Robin and Henry.

"Yes, what are you doing here? The portal is supposed to close once someone enters-" Robin said but he was greeted by a very confused, yet impressed look on Esme's face, and so he was forced to explain.

"What? Regina tells me things!" Robin explained, to which Esme laughed. Robin loved that smile. Ever since he had woken up from the coma, he dreamt of her smile, of hearing her laugh, of holding her when she cried. He knew that whatever she had been through here was going to torment her for the rest of her days and he knew that he couldn't make up for all of those lost years, but he couldn't and wouldn't accept that he would never have a relationship with his daughter; he would spend every moment of every day making sure that she knew she wasn't alone - not ever. The smile that Robin had seen spread across Esme's dirty face faded quickly, and before Robin knew what was happening, Esme was on her feet and stood directly in front of him; protecting him. Robin stood up but before he asked her what she was looking at, he saw what had grabbed her attention.

"Hello Esme," a man said as he stood under a stone archway.

"Hello Cyrus."


	18. Chapter 18

Esme could sense Robin tense slightly at the mention of Cyrus's name; she had told Robin a little bit about him but not an awful lot and that was no other reason other than the fact that there simply wasn't much to tell. Esme was raised in the female side of the island, and they rarely every merged the two sides unless they went to war with a rival island, or to repopulate. Unfortunately, Cyrus seemed to know a lot more about Esme than she knew about him. As fas as she knew, he was a fair ruler, like his father, who spent most of his time protecting the island from the neglect Zoe inflicted; but that offered no explanation as to why she felt so uneasy. As usual, she was used as the whim of everyone else, and was completely unaware of why she was here so she had a million questions racing through her brain - how did she get here, why was she here, was Robin safe, ws Regina even here . This being said, she didn't have time to truly consider any of them, or even form a coherent train of thought, for within seconds of Esme getting to her feet Cyrus was descending the sandstone stairs and walking towards her. His purple sash billowed in the slight breeze that carried the sweet scent of lilies both the Dean siblings adored through the air, and although Esme found the smell sickening, Robin didn't even seem to notice. He got to his feet, stood in front of Esme and put his arm around her body protectively the second that he saw Cyrus begin to move towards them. Esme was glad of the gesture, but instead of being intimidated, Cyrus seemed to find the action amusing.

"Now, now Robin. There is no need for that. I can assure you that I wish your daughter no harm," Cyrus said with a slight chuckle. Esme assumed that he probably intended for that to be soothing, however the overly confident way in which he was walking towards them and the sly smile that had spread across his face was anything but that. Esme wasn't sure if it was being called by his actual name or if it was because Cyrus continued to walk towards them but Robin shoved Esme fully behind him and eyed Cyrus defiantly.

"I certainly hope not," Robin stated. Cyrus, however, had lost his sense of humour and just as quickly as he had smiled before, he sneered at Robin. As he flicked his wrist, Esme was forced to watch as Robin was flung into one of the epic sandstone columns erected in Cyrus' honour. She looked at Cyrus in disbelief and immediately went to run to him but she couldn't move. She tried, but couldn't. Both of her feet were planted firmly on the ground, her arms felt like they were cemented to her side and the only thing she could do was turn her head to watch as Robin was carried away out of sight, kicking and screaming Esme's name, by two of Cyrus's guards.

"No! No! Robin!" Esme said, trying to use every ounce of strength to break free but she couldn't. She tried to kick but she couldn't even move a finger.

"Bring him back! Bring him back now!" Esme screamed at Cyrus, who was utterly undeterred by Esme's destress. He simply stared at Esme in a way that made her not only uncomfortable but terrified; he was looking at her as if she was a was a possession.

"Oh, do forgive me. The magic is simply… a precaution, if you will. I can assure you, your parents are quite alright," he said, and with one flick of his wrist, Esme could move again, in theory. In reality however, Esme was too terrified to move a muscle. Cyrus seemed to pick up on her fear, yet instead of making some sort of calming gesture, he simply took her arm in his and began to lead her towards the castle. Esme tried to stop but he gripped her arm so hard that it hurt and she was forced to continue.

"Now now Esmerelda, you must meet the people that helped get you here. It has taken a lot of effort and i'm sure you don't want to be rude," he said. Esme was still tentative, but he wasn't asking her; he was telling. People? How long had he been planning all of this? Esme tried to stop but, yet again, Cyrus prevented her from doing so

"We wouldn't want your parents to be hurt by it now would we," he said. When Esme whipped her head around to stare at him in horror, unsure as to whether or not Cyrus meant the threat the way it sounded, he simply continued to walk, looking forwards with the same icey expression that he had started with. Whether he did or didn't, Esme certainly wasn't going to risk her parents safety so she continued to walk with him through the open hallways and he led her through a giant set of ancient wooden doors, that creaked and groaned when he opened them. When they opened, Cyrus continued to lead Esme, arm in arm, into a room with one circular table and six people seated, all of whom stood as she entered. Esme stopped as she stepped through the door, unsure about what she was walking into and took a moment to get her bearings. The room was relatively dark; despite the beautiful day it was outside, there were no windows in this little room, only lamps. The ancient table coupled with the medieval, black lamps that hung from the walls made the room feel like a dungeon.

"Everyone, meet Esmerelda. Our seer" Cyrus said as he grandly extended his arms in a bid to emphasise Esme, even though she was the only person standing at the door. The way Cyrus showed her off like a prized pig made her nervous, but the way the six people around the table stared at her made her was terrifying. Each and every one of them stood and came to inspect her, circling her like vultures as if she was something that they wanted to buy but had to make sure was in good condition first. As they talked amongst themselves and pretended that Esme couldn't hear them, Esme's fears began to reach fever pitch.

"Wh- where are Regina and Robin," Esme asked as the men lost interest in her and returned to their table.

"I can assure you they are quite alright," Cyrus said in a tone that reminded Esme of how a snake would talk; slimy and false.

"Where are they?" Esme repeated but Cyrus ignored her question, smiled, pulled out a chair at the huge circular table and looked at her expectantly.

"Please i just need to know where they are," Esme pleaded, ensuring she stood exactly where she was until she got an answer. Cyrus, however, had other ideas.

"Do you know why you are here, Esmerelda?" Cyrus asked her, as he left Esme's chair out and went to sit on the largest chair at the central seat of the table with his arms outstretched; a perfect concoction of both overly-comfortable and intimidating.

"No."

This entire situation was surreal for Esmerelda. Regina and Robin where somewhere in this castle, she just knew it, and it was all her fault. This was the exact reason Esme didn't want to stay away; they were in danger because of her. She had allowed herself to grow close to them, to trust them, and now they were being hunted just like her. Cyrus was dangerous, perhaps more dangerous than Zoe, and there was no way Esme could allow them to stay here. She knew that Cyrus somehow had powers, for she had seen him use them on Robin, but Esme's powers had grown since she was last here; she was not the same terrified young woman she was but she wasn't sure she wanted them to know that. Not quite yet. But she wouldn't let them intimidate her. With this in mind, Esme pushed her chin up a little higher, stood up a little taller and walked as confidently as she could towards the seat Cyrus had extended for her. She watched as the men began to mumble to themselves and the surprise that spread across their faces caused a hint of a smile to spread across hers.

"I assume you heard talks about an uprising prior to you fleeing," Cyrus said, unmoved by her bold symbol of confidence. In contrast to the surprised expressions on the six mens faces, Cyrus now clasped his hands together and leant towards her, with his elbows and forearms on the table. Esme wasn't quite sure how to answer; was it a trick question? Had something happened that Cyrus thought she had caused?

"Umm.. yes. Yes i had. But i left before anything actually happened," Esme said, placing her hands on her lap and looking Cyrus directly in his piercing blue eyes as he addressed her.

"I'm sure. Well we are nearing the end. My sister is weak and i am strong," he said with a smirk. "We have achieved great success however we must overcome one hurdle and that is her magical… troops."

"Troops?"

"Oh yes. I'm afraid my sister has gained quite the following," Cyrus said as he lay back in his seat, lounging and smirking at Esme; as if she was simply there for his entertainment.

"I guess fear makes obtaining power a hell of a lot easier," Esme said. The filter that prevented her from saying everything she as thinking was under immense pressure in this room, and so it slipped out, Esme didn't necessarily regret it. She had spent years trying to please Zoe, trying to appease her (without actually doing everything Zoe asked of her) in the hope that she would somehow get out and that didn't work. Maybe a little bit of courage was what she needed now. Esme was not sure how Cyrus took her little outburst, as he maintained a constant, steely expression, but the smile that spread across his face was much more menacing than she had hoped to see.

"Quite," was all Cyrus said, albeit in a sort of purr that shook Esme to her core, and Esme could sense everyone around the table begin to get nervous, as if they wanted the ground to swallow them whole. Cyrus was sitting directly opposite Esme and although Esme began to look around the table at the other men, none of whom made eye contact with her, she could feel his cold, serpent like eyes following her every movement.

"You will help us defeat her," Cyrus said, in a matter of fact tone and an emphatic 'will'. Esme continued to look around the room, but something inside her flicked when she heard what Cyrus said; this wasn't some ridiculous situation anymore, this was very, very dangerous. She had always heard that Cyrus was a good, fair ruler but who was to say that was true? She had never met him until now, and right now, he was a truly terrifying man.

"How?" Esme asked, returning her gaze to Cyrus.

"You're going to help me defeat her magical…. army."

"Army? How many magical people does she have?"

"Our last estimate was around 30," the old man to her left said. Esme looked at him and wondered how he had come into this horrible situation. This little man beside her looked like he could be a great-grandfather and yet he was talking about revolting against an empress who's family had ruled for centuries. His long grey beard aged him, as did the wrinkles that had formed at the side of his eyes and mouth, yet when he talked of the information about the revolt, he looked youthful and Esme couldn't understand it.

"30? How? This island isn't even supposed to have magic. That's why she locked me up."

"Is it? Are you quite sure?" Cyrus laughed, as he crossed his arms and smiled again at Esme, watching her reaction as if she was a dancing monkey.

"I… I always assumed so yeah-" Esme answered however Cyrus heartily laughed at her response and so she was forced to stop.

"I honestly thought you were smarter than that," he said as he threw his arms in the air in an overly dramatic attempt to act as if he was disappointed.

"Oh well, why don't we give you some time to think a little harder. We will start your training at dawn," Cyrus said in a condescending tone that immediately angered Esme but he had left his seat and was now making his way towards her. When he was looming over her, he extended his arm, and Esme was simply too terrified to answer back; she knew he wanted to make her feel as small as possible, and so she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that he succeeded. She stood up, took his arm and walked with him in absolute silence. They walked down long hallways, went through many doors and turned countless corners until they eventually came to a huge stairwell that was guarded by two guards, fully dressed in armour and armed with swords and knives. Until this point, Cyrus had been muttering on about the gardens and the weather, disgustingly calm about the severity of the situation Esme was in, but once they began to walk up the huge, sandstone staircase, closely followed by the two guards, Esme could sense his mood changing, somehow. The second she got to the top of the stairs, she felt him get more tense; his grip of her arm tightened and his incessant muttering had stopped.

"Regina! Robin!" Esme shouted. She was incredibly happy to see that they were okay but she was much more horrified than happy. They were in a cell. They were cramped into a cage, no larger than a double bed. The floor and ceilings were made of the same sandstone that rest of the castle was built with but there were no windows, just one bench, two blankets and a bucket in the corner; they were caged up like test animals. But before she could run to them, the guards grabbed her, an arm each, and shoved her hard against the wall. There, Cyrus put a cuff on her, much like Zelena's, and chained both her hands and feet together; like a prisoner.

"Get away from her!" She heard Regina or Robin scream but that was of no use, Cyrus looked like a man possessed.

"You will not use magic unless supervised. You will have no contact with anyone outside this castle. You will-"

"I get it. So what's the punishment. You don't let me eat? You don't let me sleep? You don't let me drink? Which one is it because believe me you and your sister are much more alike than you think," Esme practically spat at Cyrus. Although Esme saw a glimpse of surprise, possibly at the words or possibly at the outburst in general considering she was shackled, he quickly returned to the same man he was seconds ago.

"Ahh, but i'm much smarter. You see, you escaped Zoe and ran free from consequence for years. That won't happen when you're here," Cyrus said, his face mere centimetres from Esme's. A sickening grin appeared on Cyrus's face and she knew he was right.

"Because you have my parents," Esme said with a slight laugh. She had to laugh; if she didn't she would cry and she wouldn't give Cyrus the gratification.

"Very good. So if you behave, they eat. You perform your tasks, they drink. You do exactly as i ask, and no harm will come to them. You have my word," Cyrus said, as he emphatically put his hand on his heart.

"Forgive me if i don't take your word as particularly reliable," she said and with that, the confident, mocking look Cyrus had plastered onto his face disappeared and his anger rose to the surface. He menacingly grabbed the chain that linked Esme's cuffed hands and feet and effectively dragged her into the cell beside Robin and Regina.

"I. Have. Had. Enough. Of. You." Cyrus shouted erratically, pulling Esme's cuffs unbearably sharply with every word he spat. Esme gritted her teeth in pain, and Regina and Robin screamed and banged the bars to their cell but it made no difference. Cyrus threw her so forcefully into the cell, Esme fell onto her hands and knees, and when she looked back at him, he smiled a sinister smile and strode out the doors.


	19. Chapter 19

Esme watched the door slam shut, heard the clanking of the guards armour as it walked down stairs and her heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. This very situation is what she had been afraid of for years only this time, it seemed worse because it wasn't just her that was in danger. Robin and Regina had been kind enough to take her in, help her, care for her - and that was before they found out she was their long lost forgotten daughter - and her way of repaying them was getting them locked up in a dank cell and away from their sons. This was all her fault; Esme had brought Robin and Regina to Cyrus' attention, she didn't understand what was going on, she didn't know this side of the island, and she had no magic to even try and open the portal so she had no idea how she was going to save them. In that moment, Esme was flooded with anger, sadness and hurt and she couldn't deal with it all at once, so as the emotions began to drown her, the tears started to rush down her cheek. She buried her head in her hands, hoping to shield her disappear from her parents but it was no use. Once she started, Esme couldn't contain herself and within seconds Esme was sobbing.

"Esme? Esmerelda. Come here, honey," Regina said as she walked over to the bars that separated their two cells. She reached her hands through the thick, rusty brown bars and waited till Esme practically ran to her. There was nothing Regina wanted more than to stop her tears, to make her feel better but she didn't now how; so for now, all she could do was hold her as close as the bars would allow and softly wipe away her tears. Regina felt for Esme because she knew exactly as how she felt; Regina was away from Henry and Roland at a time she couldn't afford to be. Zelena was now running around Storybrooke without her magic cuff and Emma was growing darker by the day. Now that Robin was here, Regina had no one that she truly trusted, not with their children lives, but she had no idea how to get out. She desperately wanted to get Robin back to Storybrooke, to keep him safe and to get home to her boys, but she wouldn't leave Esme. She couldn't. Somehow, someway, Esme was taken from her once before, but there was no way on earth that she was going to lose her again. If it killed her, Regina would protect her this time, with everything that she had.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry," Esme wailed as she gripped Regina's red blazer as tightly as possible, finding comfort in the smell of her perfume and how she stroked the back of Esme's hair.

"What? Honey, this isn't your fault," Regina soothed as she pulled away slightly from Esme's grip and held her wet face in her hands.

"And this isn't your fight. They want me, okay? I don't know why but they want me, not you," Esme said as she placed her hands over Regina's. She wasn't quite sure why, but she had this intense need to touch her; she hated the fact that Regina and Robin were here, but she found great comfort in it and in Regina holding her. Esme had always been strong (ultimately being weak wasn't an option) but right now, there was nothing she wanted more than for Regina to hug her, to tell her everything was going to be okay but she couldn't.

"Of course it is!" Robin said. He was only a few centimetres away from both Esme and Regina, but he wanted them to have their moment; he had a feeling that they both needed each other right now. Regina turned around, saw the hurt in Robin's face and took a step backwards so that Robin could take her place. Regina knew that he was struggling; Regina initially struggled with having her memories of Esme, but of Esme having none of them. As they began to grow closer, Regina didn't mind quite as much because she wanted to focus on creating new memories with her daughter but Robin began to struggle. He loved Esme deeply, and so was hurt when, in situations like this, she tried to shut them out. Robin took Esme's hands in his, kissed them both and explained.

"My darling, listen to me. For you, we have been your parents all of 5 minutes and we know that. But for us, you are now and have always been our daughter. You were taken from us, we don't know how and we don't know why but you were and i cannot apologise more for that. But you are now and have always been our daughter, and this fight involves you which makes it our fight too. Do you understand?" Robin asked, looking at Esme as he held her hands to his heart. Regina had consoled her slightly and so her wails digressed into a gently yet steady flow of tears, but the second Robin finished, the tears that had diminished in volume returned and Robin felt helpless as he tried to hug his daughter as she broke her heart. Robin was devastated; not only was Regina in danger, but so was his daughter and he could do nothing. Things had been going so well - the last few weeks had been incredible. Robin and Regina got to grow close to Esme, and she had let them. She allowed Robin to teach her how to use a bow and arrow. She had let Regina help her practice magic. They had enjoyed family dinners, had long all-night conversations and they had even talked about which room Esme wanted to be hers; they weren't as close as Robin wished they were, but they were getting there. Now, two members of his family were in danger and he, yet again, was helpless; he was tired of it. He was tired of his family being in danger and him being able to do nothing - Regina was nearly killed by Zelena (a person he had ensured would be a part of their lives for the next 18 years at the very least), Esme was nearly killed by Emma and Robin could do absolutely nothing to help them.

"Ow. Robin!" Regina cried and whenever he turned around, he saw Regina holding her head. He quickly kissed Esme's head and ran to Regina, just in time to catch her before she fell to the ground in pain.

"Robin, bring her here," Esme said as she quickly wiped her tears and focussed on Regina. There were many things in this entire situation that Esme had absolutely no control over, but she could help Regina. Robin quickly picked her up and carried her very carefully over to Esme who immediately took Regina's hands, closed her eyes, focussed on Regina's pain and faded into the darkness.

 _As the world came into focus, Esme found that she was in the woods. It must have been summer for the trees were a spectacular green and the sun burst through them and danced on the ground as the sweet scent of grass filled Esme's nostrils. It was stunning. Esme would have been quite happy to stand there all day, but she heard a voice singing softly and she had a feeling that she should follow the sound. Once she walked across the leafy ground for a few moments through the glorious forrest, she found Robin. He was gently rocking a beautiful baby girl, who was tightly wrapped up in a pink crochet blanket and was singing a song Esme couldn't recognise. Esme's heart melted; Robin looked blissfully happy. He had the same goofy smile on his face that he had whenever Regina woke up and as he sang, the baby girl that we was holding slowly began to close her eyes. Esme smiled, in awe of how in love Robin was with this little baby and as she heard some footsteps nearing, she realised that she wasn't the only one. Regina slowly came around the corner, carrying a small handful of twigs for the fire, and she smiled just as Esme did when she saw them. She was wearing the same, old fashioned clothes Esme had usually seen her in, so Esme assumed she was in the Enchanted Forrest, and her long hair was twisted into an intricate braid, but the smile that had spread across her face made her stunning. In her whole life, this was by far her biggest achievement; she was proud that she was the woman who made Robin a father. Not only did he love it, he was born for it, and as Robin continued to rock the baby, Regina stood mesmerised at the love this man had for their daughter. She gently put the twigs down, being careful not to wake the cherubic little tot and carefully wrapped her arms around Robins chest and planted a kiss on his firm back._

 _"_ _Is she actually sleep?" Regina whispered. Robin slowly turned around, wrapped his free arm around Regina's shoulder and kissed her on forehead as they stared at their little daughter._

 _"_ _I think so," Robin said and he couldn't help but laugh. They hadn't had a proper night's sleep in weeks but Regina still looked flawless. This beautiful little baby was perfect, but she did not like sleep; the only place the baby liked to sleep was on Regina's chest after she fed her. Because of this, Regina had survived on around three hours of sleep every night for the last 5 weeks and not once did she complain. She gave all of her energy and devotion to their beautiful baby girl and with every day that went by, Robin gladly watched Regina fall totally and completely in love with the little bundle that once terrified her._

 _"_ _Well aren't you just the best daddy," Regina said as she slowly kissed his lips. When Regina first found out that she was pregnant, she was scared. It was just under two years since Henry died and the thought of ever having to go through that pain again terrified her; it had nearly killed her and Robin once before and she truly didn't think they would survive it again. But it was Robin who soothed her, protected her, cared for her and got her excited about the birth of their daughter. He barely left her side the entire pregnancy; he held her hair when she was throwing up, he slept in the most uncomfortable positions just so that Regina could sleep, he tried to quench every single craving. Robin had been her rock and the whole process had made Regina fall in love with him even more; if that was even possible._

 _"_ _Well why don't i put this little lady to bed," Robin said as he continued to rock her, praying that she wouldn't wake up when he put her down like she id every other time._

 _"_ _No, no. Let me do it," Regina said as she carefully lifted her newborn baby girl out of Robin's arms and marvelled at how absolutely perfect she was. She looked a little like Henry had, which made her feel sad and happy all at once; Robin had said that their baby girl was a gift from Henry. Her tiny little hands were soft, she had a full head of perfect, curly dark brown hair and she had Regina's brown eyes. She was perfect._

 _"_ _She's not going anywhere, my love," Robin laughed before he kissed the side of Regina's head on his way to light their fire before night came._

 _"_ _I know, she's just… she's so beautiful," Regina said with a content sigh. She kissed their daughters soft head and carefully lay her in the crib Robin had built._

 _"_ _Thankfully, she takes after her mother," Robin said with a flirtatious smile, a smile Regina quickly returned. He loved seeing her like this; seeing her happy. Finding out she was pregnant was the happiest Robin had seen her since Henry's death. He knew she was scared, although she wouldn't tell him so, but she was happy and the only thing made Robin happy was seeing that perfect smile on Regina's face._

 _"_ _You know, we are going to have to think of a name for her. I refuse to name my daughter honey or bumble bee or whatever else you have decided to call her," Regina mocked as she joined Robin on the log he had now claimed. She wrapped her arm in his, held his hand and relaxed as she rested her head on his shoulder; this was the closest thing she had got to sleep in weeks._

 _"_ _I'll have you know those names are adorable," Robin said as he kissed her head. Regina was almost certain he was kidding. Almost._

 _"_ _What? Robin I love you, but we are not having a Honey Hood in our family"_

 _"_ _Oh we're not?" Robin said as he playfully kissed her._

 _"_ _No, we're not," Regina laughed as she gladly kissed him back._

 _"_ _Hmm, well i have been thinking of a name actually," Robin said as he wrapped his arm around Regina's waist and rested his head on hers._

 _"_ _Really? What is it?" Regina asked curiously, wondering why he hadn't mentioned it before._

 _"_ _Esmerelda."_

 _"_ _Well that's…. unusual.." Regina said, struggling to hide the fact that she wasn't entirely sold on the name._

 _"_ _Now hear me out. The reason i want to name her Esmerelda is because it means Emerald," Robin said. Regina continued to look at him, hoping that he would offer greater explanation but he stopped and Regina was left confused._

 _"_ _Okaay? Emerald? Why an emerald?" Regina said with a slight laugh._

 _"_ _Because of this," Robin said as he dug into the pocket of his jacket and presented Regina with a ring. It was a gorgeous, dainty gold band, and it had a small green stone with a square cut in the centre of a cluster of tiny diamonds that surrounded it. It was stunning but Regina couldn't believe what was happening. She felt like a giddy school girl; she couldn't stop smiling or laughing so she simply covered her mouth and stared at Robin. This beautiful, kind, honourable man; the man who taught her what love truly was, how love truly felt actually want to spend the rest of his life with her._

 _"_ _Well?" Robin said with a laugh._

 _"_ _Come on you're making me sweat here, my love," Robin exclaimed._

 _"_ _Ask me." Regina said moved her hands to her cheeks._

 _"_ _What?" Robin laughed._

 _"_ _Ask me. I need you to ask me. To make sure it's real," Regina said as a tear tentatively rolled down her cheek. The tear was met by Robin's soft hand and the statement was met with his smile._

 _"_ _Regina Mills, I have loved you from the moment i met you in that great big castle of yours and I have been waiting for this very moment for three years. I know for some reason you don't want to believe it, but i promise that i will spend every moment of the rest of our lives trying to make you see how much i love you. I love and need you more than you will ever know. I need to see those gorgeous brown eyes of yours every morning when i wake up and i need to feel you beside me, with your head on my chest every night before we sleep. I was born to be your husband Regina, and, if you'll me, i would love to make you my wife," Robin proclaimed. The single tear that had strolled down her cheek had now become a small river and Regina simply couldn't control her emotions. She couldn't even answer the question but before she knew it, her hands were holding Robin's face and her lips were meeting his. Their kiss was wet, but perfect._

 _"_ _I take that as a yes?" Robin said. He had a quizzical look on his face which tickled Regina and so she answered with a laugh._

 _"_ _Oh my god, yes. That is most definitely a yes," Regina giggled and before she could kiss him again he was placing the beautiful emerald ring on her finger._

 _"_ _I love you so, so much," Robin said as he gazed at Regina. He couldn't believe that this stunning, beautiful, powerful woman would ever settle for a lowly thief like him, but he consoled himself with the fact that no one would ever love Regina as much as he did._

 _"_ _I love you too," Regina said before she kissed his soft, perfect lips._


	20. Chapter 20

Esme opened her eyes and was greeted by the scent of the damp, smelly stones that encompassed her and the rusty, iron bars that imprisoned her. Once everything gradually came into focus, and the reality of her situation had set in, she immediately looked towards Regina, unsure about how Regina would feel about what she had just seen; what she had just remembered. They were engaged. Robin had asked her to marry him after they had just put their baby girl, Esme, to bed; this was everything Regina had ever wanted. Regina was loved and she had a family, which was beautiful to see, but now, as they began to sit themselves up in their dingy cells, Esme watched as she was forced to realise that that had all been taken away from her. The slight smile on Regina's face, the one that Esme noticed when she first woke up, slowly faded and Regina lowered her eyes to the ground and allowed her hair to fall across her face hoping to conceal from Robin how she was feeling. Robin was looking at them both attentively, desperate to aid their recovery in any way possible, but he knew he couldn't do anything, at least not in the cell. He had learned that Regina was usually emotionally drained but Esme needed sugar, otherwise she would lose too much strength and lose consciousness; but there was no sugar in this godforsaken tower.

"Regina?" Esme tried to say as she continued to hold her mothers hand but the words slurred out of her mouth and formed an almost incoherent sound. Her head hurt. Really hurt and she wasn't surprised; she had used a lot of magic in the days prior to travelling back to Messenne and had had little to no sleep or food in days. She knew that the sound that had escaped her mouth must have revealed more than she wished because Regina stopped gazing at the ground and looked at Esme. She held Esme's face in her hands, desperate to see if her eyes were weary or if she was pale, but it was no use because Esme's eyes had already started to roll back into her skull and Regina couldn't support her as she fell back in a slump on the floor, with the chains that connected her hands and feet clanging together as she hit the floor.

"Robin! Get her some water," Regina said as she tried desperately to reach Esme but she couldn't; the bars that were separating them were doing far too good a job. Robin stared for a moment, frozen with confusion before eventually scurrying around the cell desperately trying to find something but there was absolutely nothing in sight.

"Regina there's nothing," Robin said helplessly. He looked down at his frail daughter and saw that beautiful, porcelain skin had turned a horrific, ghostly grey colour.

"Well we can't just do nothing!" Regina exclaimed as she grew more and more frustrated that she couldn't even try to comfort her daughter; she was out of her reach and too heavy with the shackles that restricted her own grip.

"Oi! Can someone get in here! We need water quickly! Hey! Do you hear me!" Robin yelled as he banged his chains agains the metal iron bar but it was fruitless; after 5 minutes of non-stop blowing, there was nothing. Robin thumped his hand hard against the cell, bursting his knuckle in the process, but he was too angry to truly feel the pain.

"Robin!" Regina exclaimed. Typically, it was her that was in need of calming down.

"What? Our daughter is lying unconscious on a freezing cold block of stone, in chains, Regina. Our daughter," he emphasised by practically screaming it, "who we got back in our lives barely a year ago!" Robin shouted, however he stopped when he saw the shock on his beloved's face. His hands were trembling with anger. But he had to remember that this wasn't Regina's fault. So he quickly apologised and continued to pace the room like an angry lion just waiting for something to kill.

"We will fix this. You know that she usually wakes up-" Regina said soothingly as she took his rough, dirty hands into hers, but her attempt to comfort him was interrupted by Esme beginning to groan and move a little. The two forgot about worrying about one another and immediately ran to be as close to their daughter as their cage would permit.

"Ouch!" Esme said angrily as she struggled to sit up. Her head was throbbing but she had no recollection as to why; more importantly, she felt a small, hot trickle of blood ease itself down the back of her neck. She move her hand to her neck to see the extent of the damage but when she then brought her hand forward and saw the worry on Regina and Robin's faces, she immediately wished that she hadn't.

"Esme! Come here, let me have a look," Regina ordered, worriedly. Typically a gash wouldn't be a problem because she would heal, but her hateful sister must have told these people that she was a witch because she now had a cuff, like Esme's, which prevented her from using magic. If she couldn't heal Esme, she would need medical attention and being locked up in this tower didn't make that possible.

"What's all the shouting about!" a very angry guard shouted as he burst in through the door. The anger, however, subsided when he saw Esme's hand covered in blood. Esme watched as the guards frustration quickly transformed into utter terror. He fumbled around for a second, dashing from left to right, appearing unsure about what he should do. Regina saw his confusion and grasped the opportunity.

"I can heal her," she said.

"Then why aren't you doing that!" The guard quized, as he worriedly glanced at the door for the 10th time in one minute.

"Because you idiots put a cuff on me that prevents me from using magic," Regina said in her true Queen-like style. It was then that the guard understood what Regina wanted and he eyed her suspiciously; evidently he was not convinced she would only use magic to heal Esme. To be quite honest, neither was Esme. She watched as her mother began to form a plan.

"Fine. But her cuff stays on," the guard demanded and with that evaporated Regina's hope of saving her family; no magic meant that Esme couldn't use the portal Regina as hoping to open. As the guard quietly opened Robin and Regina's cell, Robin had a strange expression on his face that Esme couldn't quite place. Once Regina had the cuff off and had moved over towards Esme, Robin watched as the gash that had caused Esme such pain began to disappear. Esme felt immediate relief, with an odd tingling sensation where the gash had once been, but her hopes of Regina or Robin doing something, anything, to get them out of here were cruelly taken as the guard almost immediately cuffed Regina again, and she, uncharacteristically, offered no resistance. He then hurried to close the cell and practically ran downstairs, leaving a very confused Esme and Robin to question Regina.

"Why didn't you do something!" Esme said exasperatedly, once she was confident the guard was out of earshot.

"You were cuffed!" Regina exclaimed. She looked at Robin for reassurance but he didn't seem to understand the importance of the cuff either, as he sat down beside her with the same confused expression on his face that Esme had on hers.

"So!" Esme said.

"Esme, you couldn't have travelled through that portal with a barrier that prevents magic!" Regina hissed, desperate to ensure that no guard heard them. She didn't care what happened to her but she couldn't risk Esme or Robin getting hurt.

"I know, but you could have saved yourselves!" Esme shouted. She couldn't understand why they had let such an easy opportunity pass them, but when she said so, the two of them simply looked at each other, then back at Esme.

"Do you honestly believe we would ever, ever leave you here?" Robin asked. The truth was that she didn't. She knew that the only way they would leave here was if she was with them, but she didn't understand why. Not really.

"No, I just meant-" Esme began but she couldn't truly explain what she meant, at least not in any coherent way. "Your children are back home and-"

"You are our child too! And you do know the reason," Robin said. Esme usually found Robins philosophical statements funny and endearing, but she was beginning to dislike them in times like these.

"Do I?" Esme asked.

"Yes! The reason you are here is because you wanted to save me and your mot- Regina," Robin explained, his frustration growing with almost every word.

"And so the reason we are not leaving is because we want to save you," Robin explained and with that he took Regina's hand. Esme smiled as she saw these two people, two very different people, become this perfect, powerful team; they were stronger when they were together, better. Esme had never believed in the soulmate things she used to hear when people told stories; she had always believed that you make your own way in life - only you are responsible for the choices and the decisions that you make. Although she still believed that, watching as Robin and Regina fell more and more in love with each other, and watching how loving Henry and Roland were, had taught her that its always better to have someone rooting for you. In that moment, Esme remembered that Regina's smile may be for another reason; she remember Robin had proposed. Esme desperately wanted to talk to her about that, but she couldn't. For one, Robin was well within earshot. Secondly, the door eased open and another guard carefully crept his way into the tiny rectangular room that held their prisons. He was trying desperately to be quiet, going as far as to close the door as slowly and carefully as if a baby was sleeping, and he stood dramatically in-front of their cells, in full armour and looking incredibly daunting.

"Eugh, we have just had one of you in here. What do you want!" Regina exclaimed as she rolled her eyes. Esme couldn't help but giggle a little at her mothers utter fearlessness; Esme saw the huge figure of a man, draped in armour and adorned with swords and daggers and she was terrified, but Regina seemed to see him more as a joke than a threat. Ironically, the guard apparently found her contempt amusing and grinned, before he set down his sword; a sign Esme interpreted as him trying, but failing, to make them more comfortable.

"My apologise. I'm Evan," the guard said. He stopped after the sentence and looked at all three of them in anticipation; apparently under the illusion that stating his name was somehow reassuring to the three people imprisoned and cuffed.

"And i'm angry," Regina stated, much to Robin and Esme's amusement.

"We have been caged up like animals and not one of you metal morons will tell us why," Regina continued. Prior to the guard entering the room, both she and Esme had been holding hands; Regina found it was the only way to comfort her daughter who so desperately wanted to hide the fact that she was terrified. However, as her anger and frustration grew, she rose to her feet and now she joined Robin who stood at the very front of their cage. Regina couldn't ensure her daughters safety here and that was something that she simply would not accept.

"They told me you were unaware of your situation," Evan said, completely ignoring Regina and staring straight at Esme as she sat pitifully on the damp stone floor with her legs and arms crossed. She looked at him with utter confusion, unsure about how she should react, and so he continued.

"I am not here for the same reason as Cyrus, Miss Esmerelda. At least, not entirely-"

"Stop speaking in riddles you imp, and tell us what you want with our daughter," Robin demanded, as he thumped the iron bars so hard that his already injured knuckle burst and a thin trickle of blood oozed out of the wound.

"I assume Cyrus hasn't told you of his plans for you, Miss Esmerelda?" Evan asked, continuing to overlook Regina and Robin.

"No, he hasn't. He wants me to train for something tomorrow?" Esme answered.

"And his plans for your parents?" Evan questioned.

"I assumed they were collateral," Esme said steely, trying not to give away any of her emotions. "You were correct. Are you happy about that?" Evan asked in a patronising tone that ignited Esme's temper.

"You're kidding right? I don't think i am meant to be happy in this situation. Fear of something happening to them is sort of the point isn't it? Thats why we are chained, that's why we are starving and thats why we are in this disgusting hole of a tower," Esme spat as she stood up and made her way towards Evan, who simply sat and stared at Esme for a few moments.

"Cyrus wants you to kill Zoe," Evan explained. He showed no emotion whatsoever, instead, he was focused on Esme. He stared at her as he said it and watched to see what emotion flickered across her face; Esme felt his intense stare follow her every movement.

"What? If i could kill Zoe, why would i have been running for the last 4 years?" Esme said, looking at Regina and Robin for some sort of reassurance, but their confused and shocked expressions didn't quite afford her any.

"That's what the training is for. It is unpleasant, i admit, but necessary i'm afraid," Evan said as he feigned sympathy.

"Well if Cyrus wants me to kill Zoe, what the hell do you want?" Esme asked, to which Evan laughed.

"You really are like your mother," Evan said as he leaned back and placed his hands cockily behind his head.

"We want you to take out the Dean Dynasty," Evan explained. Esme laughed for a moment, almost certain this was a horrendous and elaborate practical joke, but Dean's face remained still.

"HA! The Dean Dynasty? You mean you want me to kill Cyrus and Zoe?" Esme gawked.

"Yes."

"What? You are actually serious?"

"Yes," Evan said calmly.

"Okay… well completely ignoring the fact that i can't, why do you think i would ever help you people?" Esme quizzed.

"Because Cyrus will torture your parents every time you fail, and you will fail. We, however, can and will release one of your parents-"

"One?" Esme questioned.

"Come on now Miss Esmerelda, you can't expect us to through away our only assurance of your obedience!"

"Oh i think you'll find i can. You see, you have just told me that you are planning to overthrow your emperor. Now i don't know how Cyrus does things, but in Zoe's land, that was punishable by death," Esme teased as she watched the guards confidence slowly crumble.

"You let both my parents go or i tell Cyrus that you're a traitor," Esme said as a smirk spread across her face.

"You do that, I gut your parents," Evan said. He was standing now, but the nervousness in his voice gave Esme the reassurance that she needed; she now had a plan.

"You do that and i'll use that pretty little knife that Robin just grabbed and ill plunge it through my stomach. I would love to see you explain to Cyrus how the only chance he has of defeating his sister died while under your supervision," Esme taunted as she quickly grabbed the knife from her father, who passed it through the bars. As she was lifting the knife, and while Esme was grinning with pride that she had possibly just negotiated her parents safe way back home, her parents looked an awful lot less enthusiastic.

"We'll open the portal in one hour," Evan snarled at Esme after a moments silence. He had now lowered his face to hers towards the bars, trying desperately to reignite the fear he had seen in her when he entered, but even with his breath brushing her cheeks, Esme didn't flinch. Her parents were safe.

"Fine," Esme spat, remaining exactly where she was until Evan eventually gave up and left.


	21. Chapter 21

"Yes!" Esme screamed as she was overcome with elation; however she was immediately reminded of her whereabouts when she saw the cage was enclosed in and so she immediately covered her mouth. She did however do a little dance, the one she used to do with Roland, as she was unable to hide her joy. They were safe! She had somehow managed to negotiate Robin and Regina's freedom; now Roland and Henry would have their parents back and Esme could sleep knowing that nothing she did would affect them. She couldn't describe the relief she felt, knowing that Robin and Regina wouldn't have to stay here, but her joy shattered the second she saw the blazing looks on her parents faces; she was suddenly pleased that there were strong iron bars separating her from them.

"What?!" Esme asked, utterly confused as to why they weren't as happy as she was.

"'What?' Are you kidding? Did you not listen to a word we just said? Esmerelda, we are not leaving this place. Not without you!" Regina screamed as she paced around her cell and told Esme off like a naughty school child.

"What? But now you get to see Henry! You'll get to know he's safe, and don't say you haven't been worried because i know you have-"

"Of course i'm worried! But Henry and Roland will be with Mary Margaret and David or guy liner or somebody. They have a whole town that i know will take care of them! They are safe! You are not! I won't leave you here, Esmerelda, and thats the end of it," Regina stated.

"We won't leave you here!" Robin said as he put his hand carefully on Regina's back. Esme could actually see Robins face grow a deeper shade of red every time she spoke.

"But-"

"But nothing! You are our daughter, whether you remember that or not! We have lost you once already, over my dead body is that happening again!" Regina declared.

"You won't-"

"You aren't even strong enough! You will be injured or worse and those idiots won't even care! We need to be here to care for you!" Robin explained.

"Listen to me, both of you," Esme said as she walked over to the bars and extended her hands. Neither Robin nor Regina seemed particularly keen - Esme could see Regina was still incensed - but eventually they took her hands and she began to explain.

"Look, the only reason you guys are here is because of me. You forget that I know what they do to people here and i can't let that happen to you; every single mistake i make will affect you. I don't do a spell as well as they want; you go without food. I disobey their orders; you get beaten. You guys and the boys are the only people who have ever really cared about me so i won't let anything happen to you. Please, you have to leave. I need to know you and the boys are safe, which means you need to leave Messene. Please!" Esme pleaded.

"Esme we love you, and will do whatever it takes for you to be happy," Robin explained, but as he saw a smile spread across Esme's face, he was forced to explain.

"But we won't endanger you to make that happen," he said.

"The only way we are going home, is if you are with us," Regina stated in the tone that Esme knew meant her mind, and ears, were now closed. This being said, Robin told Esme frequently that she got her stubbornness from her mother, so two could play at that game; Esme would help her parents leave this squalor, with or without their approval. Esme simply sighed in response to Regina's pigheadedness, but the breath in that she took initiated a yawn.

"Well now that that nonsense is settled, why don't you go lay down sweetheart?" Regina said as she pushed a strand of Esme's hair that had fallen across her face behind her ear.

"You guys don't mind? I'm kind of exhausted," Esme said as another yawn claimed her voice.

"Of course not! Here take this," Robin said as he handed her his cardigan.

"You must be freezing," Robin continued. She was. Esme had mostly been wearing Granny's granddaughter's old clothes ever since she decided to stay in Storybrooke, but the girl had a peculiar sense of style. Even though Esme always chose the more moderate items of clothing, it was a hot day the day they left Storybrooke, and the shorts and cami that had provided her some relief back there was causing her great discomfort here. She gratefully took his cardigan, lay on the straw bed she was provided with in the corner and wrapped the cardigan around herself as a blanket.

"Esme! Esme!"

Esme bolted upright and was rudely woken up not only by the shouting of both Regina and Robin but by the harsh clanging of chains, rattling of keys and the dim glow of candle light. It was pitch black from what Esme could see of the single window in the tower, and Esme could smell the nauseatingly familiar scent of evening waft through the tower. It took Esme's eyes a second to adjust to the darkness but she saw that Regina and Robin were being carried away by the armoured guards that brought them there mere hours ago.

"Wait, what's happening," Esme said in a confused daze, as she clamoured out of her 'bed' and made her way to the bars. It was too late, despite their fighting and protests Regina and Robin were transported down the stairs before Esme could say or do anything; within seconds of her waking up, the guards had left with her parents. Evan, however, stayed behind. Esme could barely make out his face in the candlelight but from what she could make out, he looked dishevelled. Esme guessed that he was in his late twenties, or early thirties, with a rough beard across his face and shaggy blond hair.

"You told us to let your parents go. That's exactly what's happening," Evan said with a smirk.

"You didn't even let me say goodbye!" Esme shouted as she gripped the iron bars as if she was willing them to move just so that she could wipe the smirk of Evans face.

"I'm afraid that wasn't on your list of demands," Evan taunted.

"How do i even know they are going back to Storybrooke?!" Esme demanded as she pressed her head against the cage. As she did so, Evan walked closer to her and lowered his face to her ear.

"You don't," he whispered, after which he laughed and sauntered through the door and down the stairs as Esme was left, speechless.

Now left alone, in the dark, Esme returned to the corner of the cell and was too exhausted to even attempt to hide her pain and as she felt tears begin to fill her eyes, she made no effort to stop them. Why should she? No one was there to see her cry.

Once she felt them softly roll down her cheeks, all of her pain and anger poured out and her shoulders heaved and sank as she sobbed in the corner of her cell. She cried so hard, and for so long that her head began to ache, however the pain and sadness that she felt slowly bubbled into anger. She could almost feel her blood boil and the palms of her hand now had imprints of her nails as her fists were clinched so tight. She couldn't describe it, but she felt this overwhelming need to through something, anything. She started with the straw, which she hurled all across the room with as much force as her chains would permit. She then moved on to the cup that once held a trickle of lukewarm water, and then the plate that somebody had somehow placed in her cell. She through it through the bars and it smashed as it met the wall inside Regina and Robins cell; Esme watched with delight that she had broken something that belonged to the monsters that put her here. With just one candle burning, Esme could barely see that the smithereens were dispatched throughout the now empty cell, but the glass did illuminate one thing; the knife. It glistened as the reflection of the candle bounced off its shiny silver blade. The problem was that it was wedged into the corner of the cell, well out of Esme's reach. In the moments that ensued, Esme tried everything she could think of to bring the knife within her reach, but her resources were limited and her movements were restricted and so the knife remained in the corner. Esme was trying for the 10th time get the knife when she heard the clanging of armour and so she scurried into the corner, away from the scene of the crime.

The guard that entered looked around in disbelief; there were shards of ceramics and straw everywhere. It was only when he turned the candle torch that he was carrying that he saw Esme huddled in the corner.

"Ummm… I just thought you'd want to know Levi got your parents home safely," the unnamed, unrecognisable man told her.

"How do you know?" Esme ordered. The man looked at the door before he crouched down onto his honkers.

"Levi, he said to give you this," the man explained as he extended a small mirror into Esme's cell. He had planned for Esme to take it, however when she refused, he simply set it down and left Esme in her cold, dark cell.

The second she heard the door close, Esme crawled over to the mirror. It was so small, that it fit in the palm of her hand and showed no sign of being anything remarkable. It's surround was simple metal, with not unique markings that Esme could see in the dark but when she flipped it open, Storybrooke came into view, and she watched in disbelief as she saw Regina and Robin.

They had both been thrown through the portal with such force that when Esme saw them through the looking glass, they were on the hands and knees. Robin rose to his feet first and then proceeded to help Regina to hers before they both whirled around.

"No.. No!" Robin said as he saw the huge beam of light had disappeared almost immediately. He looked to Regina for some sort of reaction but she simply stood where she was, her eyes transfixed to the space that once connected them to their daughter. Esme watched in horror as Robin paced and spoke to Regina, but Regina simply stood in a daze.

"Regina?" Robin asked once he noticed that she hadn't responded to anything he had said. He stood in front of her and saw that the confusion that he felt was not reciprocated with her; instead, she looked almost in pain.

"Hmmm?" Regina asked. She jumped when he touched her arm but she continued to stare at the small area of pavement she and Robin had just been plunged into mere moments before.

"Were you listening? How do we get back?" Robin asked, concerned.

"We don't," Regina said as she looked at Robin, as if his question had brought her back into the real world. Ignoring the confusion on Robins face, she turned and began to walk down the street; Esme presumed she was going home.

"What? We aren't leaving her there!" Robin shouted, remaining firmly where he was while Regina continued to walk in her trance like state.

"Yes! Yes we are!" Regina shouted back as she whirled around to look at him. Esme had watched as Regina maintained a cold, confused expression, until now. Now she was angry, and hurt, and sad and it pained Esme that she could see almost every emotion on her mothers face and know that she had caused it.

"How can you even say that!" Robin shouted.

"She doesn't want us there, Robin!" Regina screamed, her eyes gleaming as they began to fill with tears; as did Esme's.

"Wh-" Robin began but Regina continued.

"We aren't her parents! Not to her! We've missed over 20 years of her life! That's 20 years of scraped knees, of boy trouble, of sickness, of worry that we didn't get to help her through! She couldn't even hug me…." Regina said but the anger that had been fuelling her rant was quickly overcome by sadness and all she could do was bury her face in her hands, her shoulders heaving as she sobbed. This was the last thing Esme saw before the mirror vanished into a cloud of black smoke and just as Regina had cried, as did Esme.

This wasn't how this was supposed to happen. Esme was supposed to tell them how grateful she was that they had helped her, how lucky she felt that she had this amazing family and how sorry she was that she didn't always show it. She wanted to tell them how they made her stronger, braver and taught her that love was a real thing, a powerful thing. She wanted to promise them that this was only temporary, that she would come back home. They wouldn't understand, but Esme had never had one before; a home. She had never got to know people in the place where she lived, she didn't get to be on first name basis with her neighbours but more importantly, she didn't get to go home to people who wanted her there. The fact that she had that now made her feel tingly and excited and giddy more than they could ever imagine. The fact that they didn't know any of this, the fact that she didn't get the chance to tell them any of this, angered her slightly but pained her even more. And so she sat in the corner and cried until she fell asleep.


	22. Chapter 22

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned to hours. Hours turned into days. Days turned into weeks. The similarities were astounding, and if it didn't pain Esme so much she may have found the irony somewhat comical. The despondency was the same, the food was better and the training regime was s much worse.

Everyday we was woken up to a breakfast of eggs and milk; her protein. She then had to wait until 4 or 5 guards appeared at the door and let her out of her cage so that her body was at its optimum performing capacity, or so she was told. They kept her hands and feet shackled with eh heavy, rusty chains until she was safely in the square she had first seen when she arrived and was surrounded by around 30 men; they knew that she wouldn't be able to compel or knock out all of them. They slowly took her cuff off and within seconds she was attacked from every angle with a force and malice so unexpected, Esme initially couldn't hold her own. The first day, she was knocked unconscious within 5 minutes. The second, she was knocked to the floor so hard within 10 minutes that she spent the night in what Cyrus called a hospital. After that, Esme couldn't quite decide if the injuries grew less severe or if she subconsciously decided to simply stopped feeling them. The first few days were the worst, and as she returned to her cell all bloody, bruised and alone, she cried so much that her eyes began to sting and her head began to ache with every sob. She didn't care that people came in to leave her her plate of leaves for dinner; she continued to cry because pain was the only thing she felt. At least, this was until it came to around day 7, and then that defeatist mentality changed. After receiving a rather severe gash on her shoulder after she was unable to compel a man to freeze, Esme returned to her cell and continued to cry, much the same she had done in the days prior to that. Typically the guards sat on the ancient wooden bench that was placed parallel to her cell and gave her a status report while she ate and she pretended to listen- how she should have done this, how she shouldn't have done that etcetera - but that night, however, is was Evan who appeared and loomed over her and watched as she ate. Despite making Esme feel remarkably uncomfortable, it also angered her. This was the first time he had graced her with his presence since he ripped away her parents, and although she dreamt of what she would do to make him pay for making her feel so alone, her cuff and the bars and engulfed her made sure she couldn't touch him.

"Can I help you?" Esme spat as she ate her tasteless leaves.

"You could have avoided that," Cyrus stated simply as he pointed to the 4 inch gash on her arm.

"Not really. The other man was aiming for my stomach; i'd rather have a slice on my arm, thanks!" Esme explained but she wasn't sure why she had to. Cyrus would have seen the man aim for her stomach and known her decision was a tactical one, something he had told her to do; this was a loaded question, not one of concern.

"You last two hours out there today," Cyrus said in a tone that made Esme unsure about whether he was impressed or annoyed.

"And felt every second of it," Esme said as she stood and handed him the plate before returning to her corner.

"You'll be ready soon."

"Good."

"Don't you want to know the plan?"

"You idiots actually have one?" Esme replied, to which Cyrus laughed a sarcastic, sickening laugh.

"Has anyone ever told you you're like your mother? She was feisty too-"

"Don't ever mention my mother," Esme snarled as she stared at him with daggers in her eyes; if only they were real.

"Why? That lady is a absolute fox, i don't know what she's doing with that- what even is he? Farmer?"

"You need to shut the hell up," Esme said through gritted teeth and tightly clenched fists. How could he stand there and mock two people he shoved through a portal just days ago! Cyrus laughed at her, then left.

From then on, Esme vowed to herself that he wouldn't see her vulnerable, he wouldn't know she was in pain and he certainly would never see her weak.

After her incident with Cyrus, Esme woke up every morning with a type of fire in her belly; not one that made her like being there or took her pain away, but one that made her determined not to show any of that. She fought harder and for longer with each day that passed and as days turned to weeks, they taught her more and more; they said they were 'preparing her for her war'. As if it was her decision to fight it. She could compel up to 4 people at once, she could practically paralyse them with her mind, she could knock out multiple people in seconds; she was impressive and now understood why people like her were so feared. However as her powers grew, so did the security around her; the 30 men grew to 40, then 50 and before Esme knew it, her practice sessions had the entire male side of Messene in the castle courtyard. She even learned to sword fight and was able to hold her own against some of the strongest men on the island and along with her seeing powers, her practices had become quite the spectacle, which hoards of people now there specifically to watch her fight these huge groups of grown men, and occasionally to join in. Every victory was met with a huge round of applause; one that echoed through the hallowed halls of the castle and made Esme sick to her stomach. She felt like she was somehow endorsing this regime of brutality, like she was Cyrus' pet that he liked to show off. What Esme didn't want Cyrus to know was that her powers were growing at a rate that superseded the magic in the cuff. Esme had purposely never used her witch powers in her practices, so nobody here knew that she was a witch; somehow, that made her feel like she wasn't just their dancing monkey. Somehow she had kept something for herself, that they couldn't use. The problem was, she couldn't use it either. The cuff on her wrist prevented her from doing so, and because the only time she had it off was when she was in public, she had relented that that was just something else that she had lost. Now, as Esme sat in her cell, alone, she longed for something, she just didn't know what. Todays session had been particularly brutal but she had emerged victorious. Although Cyrus raised her arm to the crowds like a referee does in a boxing match, when the crowds dispersed, Esme was thrown into the cell and had been left alone. She was staring longingly at the knife that remained in the far corner of Robin and Regina's old cell tauntingly, as if it offered her some sort of beacon of hope,when suddenly, it moved. Esme jumped and immediately looked around to see who the culprit was but the cell was empty from what she could see; the candle that was burning in an iron holder on the wall offered limited lighting. If the cell was empty, that meant that she must have done it, right? But that wasn't possible, not with the cuff on? Esme had had a few visions since she arrived here, which she interpreted as dreams simply because she didn't think it was possible to have a vision with this cuff on. Nevertheless, what she had dreamt came true on two occasions, and so She decided to test her theory, and tried to remember everything Regina had taught her; she closed her eyes, focused on the knife, focused her energy and envisaged where she wanted the knife to go. She was astounded that when she then opened her eyes the knife had moved about two feet closer to her; granted she wanted it to end up in her hand but still, it worked; she was getting so strong, the magic in the cuff no longer prevented her powers all together.

With this information, Esme couldn't help but smile. She wasn't sure what she was going to do with it, or how, or when, but it offered her something she hadn't had in almost a month; hope. Hope of being free, seeing her family again, hope of going home. She wanted that so desperately, it was the only thought she allowed herself to think. She couldn't stay here much longer, not if her last memory was of Regina, defeated and thinking Esme didn't want or love her.

"What are you doing?" asked a guard Esme hadn't noticed had entered. Her heart stopped beating for a brief moment when she heard his deep voice echo through the empty tower however when she turned around, her fear was replace with confusion. The man standing in front of her couldn't have been much older than her and he didn't have the armour that every other guard had worn. He saw the confusion on Esme's face and quickly laughed.

"My apologise, Miss Esmerelda. I do not think we have been properly introduced. My name is Levi. Levi of Messene," he said as he introduced himself with a courteous little bow.

Esme stood up but her confusion never left her. This was Levi? When Esme heard of him, she envisaged an old man, with a long white beard and a robe of some sort; the man standing in front of her seemed utterly ordinary.

"You seem confused?" Levi explained.

"I am.." Esme said, studying him. Irregardless of his age, Esme wasn't sure which side he fought for; the one to overthrow Zoe or the one to overthrow both Zoe and Cyrus, and so she didn't feel safe to talk as she didn't want to share too much.

"So i see" Levi said as he laughed.

"I've seen you fighting. You really are rather brilliant, Miss Esmerelda. They really did underestimate you" Levi continued as turned to sit on the long wooden bench which was the only item of furniture; thus offering those who had climbed up the countless number of stairs to ascend the tower some relief.

"Who did?" Esme asked. She had lost all her diplomacy, and manners, weeks ago.

"Ah, i see they still have not told you. I'm afraid i may have said too much," Levi said. Esme found it amusing that even though Levi was no older than her, he occasionally spoke like an old man; although this endeared him to her slightly, she didn't trust him - anyone else here. Esme remained silent, unsure about what to say, and assumed he would leave after that; she didn't typically get visitors. Her only company were the lines she had drawn on the wall every night to remind herself of how long she had been here. Her cell had an odd quality; in it time was irrelevant. Each day could easily blend nicely into the next but she wouldn't relinquish anything else to Cyrus or even Evan. For some reason, those little etches on the wall and knowing how long she had been here made her feel like she at least still had her brain; it was weak, and bruised but it was hers. Esme had lost herself, staring at the 30 etches in the stone which were now now barely visible in the corner of the cell, but when Levi coughed, she saw that he was still there.

"You're Cyrus' sorcerer?" Esme asked. She was well aware this was not a particularly veiled attempt to determine which side he fought on, but she was too exhausted and sore to honestly care. They wouldn't kill her and they couldn't hurt her family so all she had to do was exist, day after day; they couldn't hurt her, not really.

"More Evans. That's actually why i'm here. I wanted to apologise for my uncles behaviour. He has been under-"

"Your uncle? You are Evans nephew?!" Esme said with utter disbelief.

"I am. I just wanted to say that he is a good man and loves his country; he just wants to make it strong again. But occasionally his passion comes across as-"

"Evil. He's a monster!" Esme spat.

"He's no monster. The monster is Cyrus," Levi explained as his noticed his chiselled jaw clench when she insulted his uncle.

"To me they are no different. You precious uncle took my parents away from me, before i even had a chance to say goodbye!" Esme screamed with utter frustration.

"That wasn't my uncle, that was Cyrus! How do you even know about that, they said you weren't aware-" Levi explained.

"What? I saw him! It was your uncle!"

"What? You couldn't possibly remember-"

"It was one month ago-" she began but then she stopped. Realisation spread across Levi's face and, although he tried desperately to hide it, there was a moment of horror; he was not supposed to have told her this, and she certainly wasn't supposed to have found out.

And then the realisation of what they were both talking about dawned on her and she gasped. Yes, it was Evan who took Robin and Regina from Esme one month ago, but it was Cyrus who took Esme from Robin and Regina over 20 years ago


	23. Chapter 23

"Get out.." was all a shellshocked Esme couldn't muster. She had so many thoughts and so many questions racing through her mind that she couldn't find any words to say amongst them.

"Please-" Levi rambled as he tried desperately to explain. Esme got up, wincing in the process, and made her way towards the bar; with an eery calmness that terrified Levi. She moved slowly, but purposefully. Her face was cold, but oozed anger. Her hands were shaking, but her clenched fists remained firmly by her side. As she neared the bars at the front of her cell, she pressed her head through the gap as far as it would go.

"I said, Get. Out" Esme spat. Levi was pleased she didn't scream, as he had no authorisation to be in the tower from either Cyrus or Evan, but the way in which the words hissed out of her mouth chilled him to his core.

"I can't!" Levi said in a particularly loud whisper as he fumbled to remove the black leather glove that was covering his right hand. He raised it to Esme and within seconds, Esme knew exactly what he was trying to do.

"I'm sorry," he whispered mere moments before Esme felt a horrific pain in her chest. It was horrendous; like every single fibre in her heart was being pulled and torn and ripped apart. Esme fell to the floor in seconds, desperately grabbing her chest and pleaded with him to stop as she struggled to breath; the pain was so unbelievably excruciating she wasn't sure she would even survive if he continued whatever he was doing. He couldn't kill her, so what exactly was he doing? It felt like he was killing her; like he was squeezing her heart of every ounce of oxygen it possessed. She couldn't take much more of it. She wasn't sure how, as she made no real conscious decision to do so, but the second she caught Levi's eye, she compelled him.

"Stop!" Esme ordered, as she began to see little black spots that obscured her vision. Within seconds, Levi lowered his hand and the pain gradually began to subside. Esme gasped for air, desperately trying to get some oxygen as a very confused Levi stared at her in silence. Esme was happy to stay that was for as long as Levi remained in her presence, however they were shocked back to the reality when they heard the familiar clanging of armoured legs as they climbed the spiral staircase. When the door was forcefully shoved open, Evan walked in and Esme's heart stopped.

"Levi? What are you doing here boy? You should be resting; conserving your energy!" Evan said so forcefully that even his concern was masked by his rash, deep voice.

"I… I uh.. I heard a noise and thought I should check on the prisoner, Uncle," Levi explained as he stood up straight and remind that way while Evan was present.

"Why aren't you ever happy? Hmmm?" Evan asked Esme; it wasn't as much a question as a statement. He looks at her laying on the floor and was momentarily confused, but he didn't care enough to ask why; so long as she was living she was capable of doing her job.

"Woman's prerogative," Esme hissed, to which Evan eyed her before returning his focus to Levi, who was nervously looking at Esme.

"Go on boy, get some rest," he said as he patted Levi's shoulder while encouraging him out the door.

"I'll keep this one in line don't you worry," Evan continued, with a wink towards Levi and a firm grasp of his sword handle.

"No, uncle. Cyrus will wonder where you are. She's fine now, aren't you?!" Levi said.

"Me?" Esme said in a mock surprised tone. "Oh, i'm just fine," she explained as she looked Evan directly in the eye. His overconfidence sickened her; she wouldn't let him think she was anything other than strong. Evan eyed Levi somewhat suspiciously, but he was much more concerned with Esme.

"You'd do well to remember where you are, little girl," Evan whispered to Esme as she stood defiantly at her cells entrance. The cream dress they had given her a week after her parents departure was far too big for her slender frame, and was filthy with the dust from the cell floor, and her body was covered in bruises and cuts; yet she still stood at the the cell door like a queen, exuding a strength Evan wanted desperately to break.

"Oh, I know exactly where I am old man. Don't you worry," Esme whispered back, and a smile spread across her face when she saw Evans cheeks grow ruby red with anger.

"Why you little-" Evan said as he raised his fist in the air. Esme stepped back from the cell doors and watched as Levi grabbed his Evan's arm.

"Uncle!" he shouted, surprised at his uncles reaction.

"She had it coming!" Evan shouted at Levi as he ripped his arm from Levi's grip.

"You're lucky we need you for this rebellion!" Evan continued as he yelled at Esme. He stared at her for a moment, panting with anger before he decided to leave - slamming the door in the process.

"How did you do that?" Levi asked as Esme returned to her corner. She was too exhausted too angry and even try and have a conversation with him.

"Why did you do that?" Esme retaliated.

"I asked you first."

"And I don't care." Esme said as she stared at the notches she made. She slowly made another one.

"What is that?" Levi asked.

"Leave me alone."

"I was trying to stop you…. trying to stop you feeling. Just for a while." Levi asked.

"You what?!" Esme asked, utterly exasperated at how the young man staring at her looked just like her, but acted like a robot.

"You were hurting. You're no good to us in pain-"

"I'm no good to you in pain? Are you kidding? I've been good enough for 31 days and i have been in pain every moment of it."

"I was worried you would tell my uncle what i told you to get your parents back-"

"You seriously have no clue do you?"

"About what?"

"Family."

"No. But neither do you. Look, did our part and protected your family. I even let you see them-"

"Oh yeah! You let me see that my parents being dragged way. You let me see that my mother thinks I sent her away because I didn't love her. That was wonderful." Esme said as she returned to engraving another line in the stone wall.

"We kept them safe!"

"They were only in danger because of you people," Esme explained with a cool and calm tone. She knew that she was fighting a loosing battle; these people didn't care what she thought or how she felt so there was no point in wasting energy trying to convince them.

"No they were in danger because of Cyrus!"

"I see no difference," Esme said as she look Levi straight in the eye.

"How can you say that?"

"Want me to think otherwise? Tell me more about what you know of Cyrus."

"I can't!"

"No, you won't." Esme continued to stare at him and watched as he frantically pondered what to say. Her heart fluttered as she saw him crouch down and wave his hand to gesture for her to come closer to him; which she immediately did.

"Years ago, when the island was one and Cyrus and Zoe's parents ruled, magic was used freely throughout the kingdom. The Emperor didn't possess any magic, but the Empress was a gifted witch; a gift she then passed on to her son."

"Cyrus."

"Yes. When the twins were grown, the seer came to the palace; he said that magic would destroy their kingdom. Naturally, the emperor banned all magic, even that of his wife and son, but it didn't work. Magic was still used but was done in the shadows. He imprisoned the seer and checked daily upon the future of his kingdom but the future never changed. For years the seer continued to say that 'magic will destroy your kingdom"; she said it for so long the Emperor and Empress died without ever knowing what the seer mean. Finally, when Cyrus and Zoe ascended to the throne, a baby was found in the palace court. The day that baby appeared was the day the future changed." Levi said.

"To what?"

"'The saviour has landed; the women who sees will save this land.' Cyrus and Zoe thought that the women this referred to was the imprisoned seer and had her killed along with any other threat to their power."

"There is only ever one isn't there?" Esme asked as she began to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"One what?" Levi asked.

"Seer. There's only ever one seer per generation," Esme said. She remembered reading it in one of the books Regina had her read during her training.

"Yes…"

"So when Cyrus and Zoe had the seer killed, her magic… it would have to go to someone else?"

"Umm…Correct." Levi explained, astounded that the women knew so much about her abilities; he had been told she was raised knowing nothing.

"It was me. I was the baby they found?"

"Yes. So you see, you are destined to save Messene. That's why you are here." Levi explained as a terrified Esme sat in a trance. For moments, all Esme could do was sit and think about how utterly anti-climatic it was. For years, she wondered what had happened to her, she spent hours every single day wondering why she was here; and not she knew.

"Esmerelda?"

"Just… just give me a second okay?" Esme stated, to which Levi simply nodded and sat back down on the bench.

"That's why Zoe locked me up when my powers came through? She thought I was going to… what? Take the throne?" Esme asked.

"Exactly."

"So why did they chase me down? They could have just killed me, the way the killed the seer."

"Your power would just transfer to another. They thought it easier to control you." Levi explained in cold way that chilled Esme. He was talking about her life, her horror, as if it was just a part of some plan; not something that happened to a human.

"They?" Esme asked

"Cyrus and Zoe."

"And Evan." Esme added.

"Enough Esmerelda! You should be grateful. You are the one destined to bring peace to our land! My uncle has brought you back so that you can fulfil your destiny-"

"Your uncle took my family!"

"A family you don't even know!"

"And who's fault is th-" Esme began but her argument was interrupted by a horrifyingly loud crash. The noise vibrated Esme's very bones but all she could do was wait in anticipation as Levi looked out the single window in the tower. As he turned, his face was drained of colour. It was then something happened that bemused Esme; Levi waved his hand across the lock that imprisoned her. Seconds after doing so, Esme heard a chorus of men's screams and she felt sickened. She wasn't sure why, but she did. The Levi repeated the hand movement and the lock burst open, Levi's magic hand unlocked her shackles and ripped the magic band off her wrist.

"What? What's happening?" Esme asked bemused.

"You ready?" Levi asked as he grabbed her rest and dragged her out of the cell before she fully understand what was happening.

"For what?" Esme asked as he pulled her down the spiral staircase much faster than her sore, tired legs could carry her.

"Zoe." Esme couldn't understand why but Levi smiled when he said this; like he was excited.

"Zoe?! Now?" Esme wheezed.

"Yup!"

They had descended the stairs in record time, and were racing through the halls towards the courtyard that had become Esme's stage. As they ran, they heard countless booms and crashes with choirs of men bellowing to run or stop. The two of them met Cyrus, who was closely tailed by Evan and the other members of his posy and immediately joined them. They then power-walked as a group, with Esme shoved into the middle, and walked with purpose and intent until they arrived at the town square. It was then that they stopped.

"My, my little sister. You always did like drama!" Cyrus said in the same sickeningly smooth voice that he had first used with Esme. Esme knew that he must have been talking to Zoe, but because she was dwarfed by the men that surrounded her she couldn't see where she was.

"Now, now Cyrus, there's no need to be mean. You know why i'm here. I just wanted to give you the opportunity to bow out with some dignity."

"Ha! I'm afraid not little sister!" Cyrus cooed as Esme began to grew ever more frustrated that she couldn't see what was going on. Although she tried to shuffle through the manmade barracked, she was promptly shoved back after each and every attempt.

"I will win, Cyrus."

"You and what army?" Cyrus seethed.

"I don't need one. Just like you, I have my very own little surprise." Zoe was eerily happy i this situation; it made Esme more uncomfortable than she already was.

"Ha! And who would that be?"

"Me." It took that word, one word, to make Esme's world shatter. She shoved each and every man out of her way and when she finally got to the front of the scrum, her heart broke. Walking towards them all from the safety of the shadows was the one person Esme prayed would never have to return. Regina.


	24. Chapter 24

"No…." Esme whispered. She couldn't even begin to understand what was happening. Regina, her mother, was standing side by side with the woman Esme had been running from, the woman she had cried over. What was she doing here?

"Recognise her, little brother?" Zoe said in the same distinct purr that resembled a cat as it played with a dead mouse.

"The seer's mother.." Cyrus said, as unsure as Esme was about what exactly was going on. While Cyrus had an entire army of men behind him, Zoe had just Regina.

"The Evil Queen," Zoe said with a smile that exuded pride. How could Regina stand there like she was Zoe's prized possession and do nothing? Zoe's words caused a chorus of sharp breathes on the men's side; Regina's reputation had preceded her.

"Regina.." Esme whispered to herself. As she stared at Regina, she felt like the entire world would crumble around her and she wouldn't care; she was so focused. Focused on finding out why she was there. Focused on finding out what she was planning to do. Was she angry that Esme had sent her away? Is that why she had gone to Zoe? Esme knew that that was the most logical reason, but in her heart, she couldn't believe that. Regina was an experienced queen and a master at concealing her emotions, but Esme could tell, somehow, that she didn't want to be here. When Esme caught her eye, she saw a hint of pain, of utter despair, flash across her eyes; Esme couldn't believe Regina was there to hurt her.

"Evil Queen or not, little sister. She is still the seer's mother; do you really expect her to kill her?"

"Hmmm, I too was concerned about that. Which is why I took this," Zoe explained as she held up a red, pumping heart and smiled with glee. She truly was quite evil. Esme looked at Levi for some sort of reassurance that this was planned, but he too was staring at the scene that had began to unfold before them and the two watched in horror.

"So let's just see what the Evil Queen can do shall we?" Zoe said.

"Attack your daughter," Zoe whispered into the heart. With those three words, all hell broke loose. The state of shock Esme had been in, the trance that had kept her firmly rooted to the spot she had fought for, was broken when Regina hurled a glowing red fireball straight towards her. The men that had once surrounded her dispersed like mice, and Esme was left alone, beaten and bruised. She deflected the fireball, then a few curses. Within seconds Regina was throwing countless spells towards her, and all she could do was stand back and deflect them. During the few seconds that Esme had between each of Regina's spell, she saw that Zoe's real army had also emerged from the shadows and now, as well as having to fight her own mother, she had to deflect Zoe's army, all of whom were now in full battle with the men.

"Why are you doing this?!" Esme screamed as she deflected another nasty curse. Her entire body was shaking; her bones and muscles ached, she was confused and so very angry. Esme didn't believe Regina was here to hurt her. She couldn't be.

"I have to!" Regina said as she threw another curse at Esme.

"Why?!" Esme shouted. All around them men and women were slashing each other, screaming out of pain or anger, but nothing they all avoided Regina and Esme. The two women were standing opposite each other; there was no escape for either.

"You sent me away Esme! I had no choice!" Regina shouted before casting another spell towards Esme. Esme was too sore and tired to even try counteract it; all she could do was continue to deflect the spells her mother threw her way.

"Fight back, little seer!" Zoe screamed angrily as she stood safely behind a barrier of women who were fending away the men that tried to capture her. The sight of her on the pedestal sickened her; she was watching them as if they were her own personal entertainers; and Esme got the feeling she wasn't quite living up to Zoe's expectations. Esme looked at Regina, who paused for a brief moment; she looked her bruised and beaten daughter in the eye and threw another fireball at her.

"Focus Esme. Fight back." Regina shouted as she threw another curse towards Esme. Esme was even more confused, but Regina kept fighting her while screaming for her to fight back. It was then that it clicked. Fight back. That was the thing Regina said when they were training. The spells she had used were the ones that the two used to spar with. Maybe Regina was here to save her. When Esme fired back her fireball, Regina couldn't help but smile. She returned another curse to which Esme retaliated accordingly and it as then that Regina knew she understood. She maintained her hardened exterior, an act Esme quickly adopted, but they knew what they were doing. They fought for what felt like hours, until Esme's body simply couldn't take much more. She trusted Regina, but she couldn't be sure Regina knew how exhausted she was. When Esme returned a spell that was a mere flicker of the spell it was supposed to be, Regina looked around, saw that nobody was watching them, as they were all engaged in battle, and gave Esme a moment to regain some strength. As grateful as Esme was, that moment of inaction allowed men and women to penetrate the circle of safety their spells had earned them; now men and women were fighting all around them. Esme lost sight of Regina for a moment and panicked. It was silly really; she was in the middle of a war but she felt like a lost child because she had lost her mother. Irregardless of how silly Esme felt, she fought her way through everyone until she finally caught a glimpse of Regina who was doing the very same thing. Esme stared at her for a moment; she looked exhausted. Her eyes were bark, her lips were pale and her skin was almost grey. Esme was horrified at how Regina looked ill, but she was more horrified when she saw a woman raise her sword and aim the sharp tip at Regina.

"Mom!" Esme screamed and with every ounce of strength she had, she forced herself to use a spell. Within seconds of pointing her finger towards the woman, the soldier was flung back into the shadows with a glorious white light; and Esme was now the focus of attention.

"She lied! " Zoe screamed a scream that was shrill and filled with anger. Regina and Esme knew that Regina's plan had been revealed and began to run to each other; but it was too late. Zoe's scream had enraged the women soldiers and each and every one of them - there must have been 100 in total - fought their way through the confused mass of males with their vengeful eyes set on Regina. Esme watched as Regina sent waves of women through the air with a mere flick of her wrist, but as impressive as this was, Esme knew that she wouldn't be able to do that for long; Regina was exhausted. Esme also knew that Regina would never be able to fight Cyrus if she lost much more strength and so she desperately wanted to help her. Esme looked frantically around her for some sign of aid, and when she looked down to her right she saw the body of a man she recognised. He was one of the men that sat at the table the very first day she had arrived; she delicately closed his old, war-torn green eyes before taking his sword. The sword was horribly heavy in her right arm, but the sight of Zoe's soldiers getting dangerously close to Regina gave Esme some strength; Regina had risked her life to save her, she couldn't let her down now. As Esme used every trick Cyrus had ever taught her, she ducked as men and women flew past her head. Just as she was within touching distance of Regina, she felt a sharp tug at her waist, and a horrifyingly sharp edge at her throat.

"Stop!" Zoe screamed. Her calm demeanour began to waver, and her shrill scream vibrated its way through Esme's ears. Regina was panting and looked furious, but when she saw Esme in the firm grasp of Zoe, she was consumed by fear.

"You know Regina, I don't like being lied to," Zoe explained in a story telling-like manner that chilled Esme to her core. She began to walk around, circling Regina as if she was prey, and all Esme could do was go with her.

"It was me that lied to you, not Esme," Regina said as she attempted to reason with Zoe, but Zoe was enjoying her terror far too much to care. It ticked her that she could reduce the notorious Evil Queen to a quivering wreck with just one knife and a young woman.

"Exactly! So what could be worse than killing her right in front of you?!" Zoe said with a horrendous smile plastered across her face. With every word, Esme felt the sharp knife press closer to her throat and she knew Regina could do absolutely nothing to stop her; Zoe was sure to use Esme's body to protect her own from any unwanted spells and by this stage, Zoe's followers had grabbed Regina too.

"Hurt my daughter and I will end you," Regina seethed through gritted teeth and clenched fists. Thus while Esme was grateful for her mothers defiance but Zoe was not; Esme felt the tip of Zoe's knife pierce through the left side of her throat and panic immediately set in. She could feel a tiny trickle of blood gently cascade down her neck, and although she the trickle of blood was all that came of the wound, it was an unwelcome reminder that Zoe, unlike Cyrus, wanted her dead. As Zoe continued to parade Esme around, the women had formed a protective barrier around them and the men simply stopped the fighting, too mesmerised by events to continue their battle. They had halved in numbers, those who survived were bloody and Cyrus was nowhere to be seen; Zoe was winning this war. Just as Zoe began to speak again, a huge bolt of light flashed through the sky and engulfed Esme and Zoe in a bright wave of a horrendously bright light.

"No!" Regina screamed a blood curdling scream as her legs began to give way. The women who had grabbed her made no attempt to support her as she fell to her knees and as she watched, the light burned her eyes. After waiting a few moments, and hearing the sickening screams from inside the light that had engulfed her daughter, Regina wailed at the sight of her daughter. Gone.

"Mom? Mom!" Esme screamed as she emerged from bright light and ran towards her mother. Her eyes were painful and her vision was blurred due to the sheer intensity of the light but she could make out her mother.

"Esme!" Regina cried as she held her tightly in her arms; the way Esme sank into her made Regina want to hold her forever more.

"Are you okay? Are you alright?" Regina asked, as she studied every inch of her daughter; soaking in hear beauty and thankful that she had the opportunity to do so.

"Yeah i'm okay. Mom," Esme said as she pulled away slightly and looked at Regina. It felt nice to say that word; like it was meant to be specifically for Regina, it suited her. Esme saw Regina smile at the mention of it, but she had to talk to her before the reality of what had occurred set it. Zoe was gone. Esme didn't know how, but the white light that had engulfed them burned her, and only her; she heard the scream but before she could help, Zoe had gone and all Esme could do was try to find her way out of the beam of light.

"I am so, so sorry. I hated sending you and Dad away, okay? I hated it! But I needed you both to be saf-" Esme said but the tears that she had suppressed for too long were beginning to fall down her cheeks and her throat began to catch.

"I know. Oh, sweetheart I know," Regina said as she planted a kiss firmly on Esme's head and held her for as long as she possibly could. There was nothing she wanted more in that second than to bring her daughter home, but the women were beginning to stir; the battle wasn't quite over yet. The light had dissipated and people were wondering why Esme had been allowed to emerge and not Zoe. It was when the realisation of her death set in that all hell broke loose. The magic that had primarily been confined to simply Esme and Regina, to their knowledge, was now used across the battle; casualties doubled within minutes. Regina looked around at the horrendous fighting that was occurring and saw an opportunity; the only people that truly used Esme were Cyrus and Zoe. Zoe was dead, so if she could just get Esme out of this, Cyrus would be much less of a threat.

"Come on," Regina said as people began to stand over them while casting their spells; nobody cared they were there. She grabbed Esme's hand and began to run. The two raced through corridors, darted through doors and hid in the dark until they felt relatively safe all the while clinging to each others hands. They had been running so fast and so desperately that neither truly knew where they were. The corridor was masked by the night sky, the only light available was offered by the bright white moon. As Esme and Regina took a moment to catch their breath, Esme supported herself with the help of the strong stone wall and steadied her breath; she felt so exhausted she felt physically ill.

"Are you okay? Esme look at me, you okay?" Regina said as she joined her daughter and placed her back against the wall. Esme had gone a horrible shade of grey and she was breathing so hard Regina could practically see her lungs.

"Yeah. Yeah i'm fine," Esme said as she continued to stare at one little black spot on the otherwise stony ground. She needed to bring down her heart rate; otherwise it felt like her heart would pump right out of her chest. As she slid into a sitting position, Regina joined her and as ridiculous as it seemed, Esme grabbed her mothers arm and placed her head on her shoulder. With their arms interlinked, Esme felt safe.

"How did you not obey Zoe? She had your heart?"

"There's only one person that has my heart honey and that certainly isn't Zoe," Regina explained but it took Esme a minute or two to understand what had happened.

"It was from your vault."

"Yes. I would never put you at risk like that-"

"No I know," Esme stated. Although Esme was curious, she trusted Regina, and she knew that she owed her an explanation about why she sent her away. She had replayed that scene when Regina was crying over a dozen times in her brain; she couldn't ever let her down like that again.

"I am so, so sorry-"

"Esme, I understand-" Regina said, knowing exactly what Esme meant.

"No please let me say this. Yes I am so sorry for sending you and Robin away but I am more sorry for ever making you think I didn't want a family. That was so not the issue I swear," Esme explained. She looked at Regina who had a wonderful, calm look on her face, and a hint of a smile, so Esme continued.

"I've never been a daughter before so I've only ever had to look out for myself. It's not that I didn't want a mom or dad, I was worried that you wouldn't want me. Not really. You have these two gorgeous boys who you have raised and have this incredible bond with and I was worried that because you didn't get to raise me that I would be different -"

"Esme, I need you to listen to me okay? Yes, Robin and I were robbed of our chance to raise you, and yes our situation as a family is… different, but we are still a family. It's you, me, Robin, Henry and Roland, okay? I love you so, so much and that doesn't change one ounce just because I raised Henry. Do you understand?"

"I do now," Esme laughed a little as she allowed a tear to roll gently down her cheek and wrapped her arms around Regina's neck, clinging to her.

"I want to go home, mom," Esme said as she rested her head on Regina's shoulder. Regina smiled at how Esme called her mom. Finally.

"And we will. I promise," Regina said and kissed her daughters head.

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep Your Majesty," said a deep, menacing voice from the shadows. Esme and Regina both bolted to their feet and Regina instinctively put her arm protectively across her daughter.

"Who's there," Regina demanded. It was then that Cyrus emerged from the dark with a menacing smile on his face and blood spattered armour.

"Now now, Your Majesty, you are supposed to bow in the presence of an Emperor. Surely you would know that, Evil Queen," he stated. Neither Esme nor Regina knew what to do; Cyrus was a powerful warlock and they were exhausted.

"I said, bow," Cyrus said and with a flick of his wrist, both Esme and Regina felt an excruciating pain in their abdomen that forced them to their knees within seconds. Esme was still holding Regina's hand but it was more for some sort of support or relief; the pain was horrendous and unrelenting and Cyrus was enjoying it.

"Stop," was all Esme could do. She caught his eye for a moment and that was just enough to compel him; the entire incident was eerily reminiscent of her encounter with Levi. It worked, but only for a brief moment. The pain subsided long enough for Regina and Esme to sit back up and catch their breath but Cyrus was quick to use his magic once again; he flung Regina hard against one wall and Esme hard against the other; taking great delight in treating them like dolls and watching as they broke.

"Come on little seer, I taught you more than that," Cyrus said as he began to stride towards her. Esme's ears were ringing but her heart sank when she looked around and saw that Regina was unconscious with a bloody gash on her head. It was then that her fear and helplessness bubbled into anger; she immediately raised her hands and flung Cyrus hard against one of the walls.

"Stop." Esme said as she hurled him once again.

"Hurting," and again.

"My." Again.

"Mom!" she screamed. The effort it had taken to remove the smugness from his face left Esme breathless but she didn't care. She looked and saw that Cyrus was lying on the ground unconscious and so she ran and fell beside her mother.

"Regina?" Esme asked but there was no response. She was alive, she was breathing, but she needed to wake up; Esme needed her to wake up.

"Please, come on. Mom?" Esme said as her shaking hands began to wipe away the blood that had trickled down the side of her head. Esme knew that technically she could heal her with a wave of her hand but she had tried to heal before but she was never any good at it. Despite this, she quickly concluded that she had no other option and so she carefully moved her mothers head. Once Esme could see Regina's inch long head gash more clearly, she raised her hands and focussed; it was then that she instantly felt a gentle heat radiate from her hands and she watched as the gash gradually disappeared before her eyes. Once the gash was gone, Regina slowly began to come around.

"See…. I..I told you you could do it," Regina said slowly as she groggily began to return to reality. Esme smiled with Regina but her happiness was short lived for within minutes of her mother waking up, she was so engrossed in their conversation that she hadn't noticed Cyrus. That is, not until his hand was placed harshly around her mouth and nose, and his other arm was digging a knife firmly against her hip, which terrified Esme all the more as he was still unsteady from his head injuries. Regina tried to get up but before she could even raise her hand Esme heard a sharp intake of breath and a very sharp edge against her back. Seconds after the breath, Cyrus made a horrific gasping and gargling noise and the pressure of the knife against her side vanished as he fell to the floor, his armour making a loud crash as he landed. Esme was frozen in terror.

"Are you alright, miss Esmerelda?" Levi said in an unusually polite tone. Esme was too terrified to move, but the tough of his hand on her shoulder immediately made her whirl around; he looked genuinely concerned. He also looked dishevelled and had blood smeared all the way up his arms and armour but Esme recognised his voice immediately.

"The blood…" Esme said, all to aware that Cyrus was now a bloody corpse at her feet.

"My uncles. I tried to save him but-"

"I'm sorry." Esme couldn't begin to imagine what he was going through, nor did she ever want to, but she also couldn't feel a great deal of sympathy for him; he was a cold man, much like his uncle, who cared more about his kingdom than his humanity. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it did scare Esme. Esme helped Regina get to her feet and provided her with some support while Levi continued to stare at him in deathly silence.

"You killed Cyrus." Esme asked carefully. He was a volatile character at the best of times let alone when he was engulfed in grief.

"Yes."

"Your sword, it… it went straight through him.." Esme said as she felt ill.

"I believe so. I don't think it scratched you tho?"

"No it didn't. Why?"

"We require your assistance once again." Levi had had enough of Esme's attempt at conversation; he was more a man of action than words.

"Why?"

"Because now both armies are without a leader. The war doesn't simply end."

"I'm not going to fight for you people."

"Yes you will. That is, if you and your precious mother want to return to Storybrooke."

"What?" Regina spat.

"You two aren't powerful enough to even attempt to make a portal. So the way I see it, i'm your only chance of getting home, and I will only open that portal when we are victorious," Levi explained. Regina and Esme looked at one another but deep down, they knew that he was right. They were weak, and exhausted and simply couldn't muster the power to try and open a viable portal home.

"Fine. But if you so much as think of going back on your word-" Regina began.

"I'm well aware of your various threats Evil Queen. There's no need to waste your breath," Levi stated before he turned on his heels and began to strut calmly back towards the battle with Esme and Regina behind him.

After a few moments of walking, they were greeted by the familiar sound of swords clanging, the bright flashes of spells and the loud cries of soldiers; none of which Esme wanted to see or hear. She looked at Regina who squeezed her hand reassuringly; it was then that the floodgates opened.

"The Seer!" a women screamed as they turned the corner and within seconds they were being bombarded by spells and soldiers with swords. Regina immediately stepped in front of Esme and warded of the spells, hurling just as many back, while Esme grabbed a sword she found and fended off the men and women that came at them, all of whom were drunk with blood-lust. However, after what felt like hours of unrelenting fighting, Esme and Regina grew weaker and weaker; they were so grateful for the momentary break that occurred that they didn't really care about the cause of it.

"Stop!" They heard a man's voice bellow through the night air. They watched as everyone stopped, clearly as war weary as Regina and Esme were and so they slowly walked to a place of relative safety and watched as Levi gave an empowered speech. He discussed how the men had decided he should be their emperor, how there was no sense in spilling further blood when the true battle should be between the male ruler and the female ruler. He asked the women who they wanted to be their tribute and it was then that dozens of eyes turned straight to Esme.

"No. Absolutely not!" Regina told them all as they turned to her but they didn't care. One women had already grabbed her and began to drag her away as the people of Messene made a circle within which a shell shocked Esme would have to fight Levi.

"I'm sorry little seer," Levi said before hurling a curse her way. Esme ducked below it and watched as it burned a black hole in the stone wall behind her. She immediately got to her feet and was forced to understand the very real danger she was in; if she killed him, Regina would have no way home, if he killed her, it would destroy Regina. So she fought.

She hurled every curse imaginable at him, and deflected every spell he threw at her but it was no good; only a few spells wiped the smug smile off his face and he was more determined to be Emperor than she was. She was grateful that the crowds that had encircled them were relatively calm but she would have been grateful for even the slightest help. Instead all she heard was Regina screaming desperately; had it not been for that, Esme would have given up. She continued to fight and was successful in doing so, but she realised that magically, he was stronger than she and so she used the one thing he simply didn't have; her seer abilities. Just as Cyrus had made Regina and Esme bow prior to the battle, Esme deflected one last spell, held out her hand and slowly began to cause Levi the most unbearable head pain. He tried to retaliate with a few spells but they were easily deflected and Esme punished him with a sharp burst of excruciating pain.

"Stop fighting!" Esme screamed, desperate to stop hurting him; she didn't and never had enjoyed using her powers to cause that pain.

"Ahhhhh! Please!" Levi begged and Esme was seconds away from doing so when a particularly fierce looking soldier stepped in and asked Levi a question.

"Do you relent?"

"Ahhh! Yes! Yes I relent!" he said as he curled into the foetal position and desperately clutched and bashed at his head. Esme had won. The ferocious looking woman came towards a terrified Esme, took her hand and raised it.

"The seer has fulfilled the prophecy; our land is now saved. All hail Empress Esmerelda!" she shouted and Esme watched as men and women knelt before her; even Levi. Regina ran to her daughter's side and watched it happen; all the while her heart breaking. Her daughter was now a queen of her own kingdom; Esme wouldn't come home with her now, and she didn't expect her to. But as Regina approached her and Esme turned to look at her, she looked scared, not happy.

"Umm, can I take a few moments with my mom please?" Esme politely asked the very scary soldier, who smiled and nodded.

"Of course, Empress."

Esme quickly grabbed Regina's hand and pulled her to a place that she was confident they wouldn't be overheard.

"What's wrong?" Regina asked.

"What's wrong! I don't want to stay here! I don't want to be an empress!" Esme whispered.

"You don't?" Regina said, totally incapable of hiding her joy.

"No of course not! Mom, you guys are my family; I want to come home." Regina watched as Esme looked at her as if she could fix everything that was wrong in the world; her eyes were filled with such hope and adoration that Regina couldn't let her down. She pulled Esme close and held her while she though of a plan to get them out of this.

"Then that's exactly where we are going."

"Empress?"

"Hmmm, oh yeah, hi. Umm…" Esme stuttered but she couldn't think straight. She didn't want to spend another second here; she was sore, she was tired and she wanted to hug her brothers and dad. Dad. Mom and Dad. She would have to get used to that.

"We need to speak to Levi," Regina interjected. Esme looked at her curiously but imitated her regal expressions when she looked back at the man who had been sent to fetch them.

"Of course. Follow me," the man stated and before Esme knew what was going on, Regina was dragging her after him. As they turned the corner, Levi saw Esme and simply looked enraged.

"What can I possibly do for you empress?" Levi said in a manner that clearly didn't imply peace.

"Send us back to Storybrooke and we'll declare you emperor," Regina stated. Levi was astounded, as was Esme.

"What? Why? This is your home, your kingdom; you won," he asked.

"This isn't my home, it never was. My home is Storybrooke-" Esme explained. Levi didn't seem to care a great deal about the rationale behind her decision.

"The people will not be thrilled but if you word it correctly, they-"

"Deal or not, witchy boy," Regina demanded. Levi didn't look particularly impressed but he was quick to agree.

"Agreed." The second Levi said confirmed, Esme let go of Regina's hand, stood on the base of one of the broken pillars and used a spell to amplify her voice as hundreds of people stared at her expectantly.

"People of Messene, you have all been under the heavy hand of a dictator that has put their own personal needs above that of their people, and for that I am sorry. You need someone who deserves your loyalty and who's life is worth the blood spilled here but that just isn't me. I don't have experience as a ruler and more importantly, I don't love Messene. This place represents a time of my life I really would rather forget and that shouldn't be the mentality of your ruler. It is for this reason that I will abdicate my throne and propose that Levi be my successor." Esme stopped; she knew that she was rambling but she could think of nothing else to say and the entirety of the mass of people had began to chatter amongst themselves. It was at this point that Esme looked towards Regina and Levi for some sort of support; it was Levi that then offered it. The two swapped positions on the base of the colossal column and Esme watched him; despite his dirty, bloody physicality, he delivered an impassioned speech about his love for Messene.

"It is now that I invite our empress to the stage," Levi said and politely, albeit dramatically, extended his hand to help Esme up onto the 'stage'. She took it and stood awkwardly beside him, unsure about what exactly Levi had planned.

"Is there anyone who objects the the empress's decision?" Levi called and they both waited with baited breath; the crowds murmured but nobody opposed.

"In that case, it is my pleasure to introduce to you your Emperor!" Esme cheered and raised Levi's hand just as the soldier had raised hers. Much to Esme's delight, there was a loud chorus of cheers. Esme quickly let go of Levi's hand and jumped down from the base, hugged a very relieved Regina and waited; Levi was revelling in the people's delight and enjoying every second of begin up on the podium.

Ahghmm," Esme coughed which immediately brought Levi's attention towards her and Regina. He didn't seem happy that Esme had dragged him away from his adoring crowds, but he was just as anxious as her to get her and Regina out of Messene; should she decide to keep her crown, she was technically the legitimate Empress and he would be deposed immediately.

"Follow me," Levi explained in the came abrupt manner that Esme had grown accustomed to here, and so they did. They followed him to the centre of the palace courtyard, only a few meters away and watched as he cleared a pathway.

"I need something from Storybrooke," he demanded. Regina magically summoned a leaf and handed it to Levi and the two stood back while Levi conjured a huge, gleaming white portal. They two were about to walk towards it when Levi grabbed Esme's arm.

"Wait… you don't like me," Levi stated.

"No I don't," Esme replied. She was too anxious to return home to even attempt to soften her answer.

"Then why hand me the title?"

"I told you, this isn't my home. Besides, I don't have to like you to think you'll be a decent ruler. Can I go now?" She asked, to which he let go of her arm and allowed her to walk forwards.

"Oh and Esme?"

"What?"

"Don't come back." he was smiling in a way that made it seem like a joke, but Esme got the distinct impression it perhaps had greater undertones.

"Don't worry, I don't plan to."

With that, Regina took her daughters hand and the two stepped into the portal that would take them to Storybrooke. Esme's home.


	25. Bonus Chapter 1

"Ouch!" Esme screamed as she was flung from the windy portal and onto the harsh, unrelenting pavement.

"You okay?" Regina asked as she rubbed her neck; she had landed on all fours and her neck had jolted awkwardly and painfully following being flung from the portal.

"Oh yeah, don't worry. It just hurt a hell of a lot more that time," Esme said as she attempted to joke. When she and Regina looked at one another; they giggled for a moment. They didn't really know what exactly they were laughing at, but they laughed nevertheless. As their giggles slowly started to distegrate, Esme slowly got to her feet. The tunic she had worn while in Messene offered her delicate skin absolutely no protection; so there were now two gory looking bleeding scrapes on her knees from where they had impacted with the rough concrete. Regina saw that she was in pain, and bolted to her feet before she offered her arm as support; she helped Esme get up. Esme could see that her mom was alarmed at the blood that slowly trickled down each of her legs, but she reassured her that she was fine. As they stood up, practically holding each other up, Esme slowly began to drink in Storybrooke. The musky smell, carried by the wind, of the forrest after it rained. The gentle yellow glow of the street lamps, the lights in homes and, finally, the infamous clock tower. This was home. Esme knew that. She could feel it in her bones; this is where she was meant to be. With that realisation came an overwhelming sense of relief. She did it. Regina was home safely, Robin was with the boys so they were fine and she had made it home.

"You sure you're okay?" Regina asked as she put her arm around Esme's shoulder and gently kissed the side of her head. She had watched Esme for a few moments and her heart soared; Esme had this beautiful glint in her eye. Regina would go to the moon and back a million times just to see that in her eyes once more because that glint showed that she was happy; totally and blissfully happy. Esme turned to look at her mom and smiled. She wasn't quite sure why, but she was happy and so a smile spread across her face.

"Oh, i'm fine," Esme laughed. Regina smiled and hugged her quickly but whenever she began to pull away, Esme pulled her closer.

"Thank you," Esme whispered as she buried her head into her mothers neck. Regina hugged her daughter even tighter. There had been nights when she had dreamt of this; Henry used to do it when he was sad too.

"Oh sweetheart. What else would I have done," Regina said and kissed her daughter once again on her head. Esme had always known that Regina would never have left her there, but she hoped she wouldn't put herself at risk. Now she was covered bruised and exhausted. Esme breathed in Regina's sweet perfume, rested her head on her mothers shoulder and relished in the comfort and safety of a hug from her mom.

"Now, much as I would love to stand her, I think there are three boys back home that are dying to see you. So what do you say?" Regina said as she slowly pulled away and extended her arm for Esme to take .

"Lets go home, mom," Esme said and as she linked her arm with Regina's, she saw a smile spread across Regina's face.

"What's that smile for?" Esme laughed as the two began to walk slowly down main-street.

"Nothing," Regina protested but when she was quickly shot a look, she new that Esme wasn't quite going to accept that. Esme was many things, but stupid was not one of them.

"I just… I just like hearing you call me mom, that's all!" Regina explained to which Esme smiled.

"Umm.. yeah sorry! Sometimes it's Regina, sometimes its mom. I dunno I can't explain it," Esme tried to explain but she quickly stopped talking when she saw the smile gradually disappear from Regina's face. She had intended to downplay calling Regina mom because she wanted to try and avoid any and all awkwardness. However she knew that what she had said came out an awful lot more harsh that she had intended.

"No no! I don't mean I don't think of you as mom… I'm not explaining this very well. I just mean, you're more mom, than Regina now?" Esme tried. She hoped that it would work because she didn't know how else to explain it; thankfully Regina held Esme's hand, the one that was linked with Regina's arm.

"That's good enough for me," Regina smiled. As they approached the clock tower, Esme heard the gentle jingle of the bell from granny's ring behind them.

"Regina?"

As Esme and Regina turned around, they saw Snow emerging from Granny's with baby Neil bundled up in her arms. Esme looked at Regina for guidance as to what to do; Esme liked Snow, but there was nothing she wanted more than to see the rest of her family now. Regina, however, began to walk back towards Snow, and so Esme began to walk alongside her. When Snow met them in the middle, she wrapped her free arm around Regina, who awkwardly hugged her back, and then Esme.

"Oh sweetie, it is so good to see you. You look awful!" she told Esme.

"Umm, thanks?" Esme joked. Esme knew Snow didn't mean that quite the way it sounded; she also knew that she did, in fact, look awful.

"No, I didn't mean- I just meant i'm glad you're home. And I know those brothers of yours will be too!"

"That's actually who we were just going to see! Would you mind if we catch up tomorrow?" Esme asked.

"No of course not but, sweetie, you were going the wrong way," Snow explained, however the confused looks that were etched into Regina and Esme's faces encouraged her to continue.

"They are in Granny's," Snow explained. With that Esme could feel the excitement bubble up inside of her; her heart began to flutter and a smile spread across her simply at the thought of seeing the rest of her family again. With this excitement came a tinge of nerves; would they be angry? Was Robin still angry she sent him away? Regardless of this, before she knew it her feet began moving almost independently and she promptly arrived at the door of Granny's and waited. Behind that aged, wooden door was her father, two brothers and a whole lot of people from a town she now called home. In front of it, Esme was independent but she knew that the second she stepped through, she would need all of those people in order to be happy, just as she knew she needed her mom, and for some unfathomable reason that actually scared her.

"You okay?" Regina asked as she placed her gently on Esme's back, thus promptly breaking the day dream she was in.

"Oh, yeah," she said as she smiled at her mother and quickly opened the door. As always, there was a loud jingle from the bell and, just as Esme feared, all eyes were on her. She was met by stunned silence; everyone slowly began to stop the conversations they were in or stopped eating their food and just stared. She stood uncomfortably in the door way, feeling desperately exposed and waited for a couple of seconds; she wasn't really sure about what to do.

"Ummm, hi everyone?" Esme said as she awkwardly waved to the people that were staring at her like she was some foreign being. She looked around and although she didn't see her family, nobody seemed to mind, for within seconds they came running at her. There was a chorus of 'Esme!'s before she was engulfed by arms wrapping around her waist and neck. She tried to return the hug to everyone, but there were so many people that she wasn't sure who the arms belonged to. Once the gang of people had gradually began to disperse, she attempted to answer all of the "where have you been?"s and "how are you?"s as best she could. That is until people stopped asking. Initially, she was confused as to why. That is until she noticed that the huge mob of people that had surrounded her with love and support had turned her around so that her back was to the back of the diner. During her questioning, Esme hadn't really noticed however whenever everyone went silent, she slowly turned around and saw three very surprised people standing at the bathroom door.

"Sissy!" Roland screamed as a smile beamed from his face. He escaped from the grip of Robin's hand and lunged straight at her. He jumped straight into her arms and gripped her neck so tight that he almost choked her; but she didn't care. His long floppy curls smelled of the woods and dirt and his tiny shoes were covered in dirt; nothing had changed. Within seconds of Roland jumping onto her, Esme felt another set of arms wrap themselves tightly around her waist; Henry. He was almost her hight and so when he rested his head on her shoulder, she was able to hear his whisper.

"Thank you."

Esme bumped Roland to her hip and wrapped her free arm around Henry before she replied.

"What for?" she whispered back.

"Going in there for Mom and Robin," he explained, all the while continuing to cling tightly to her.

Esme couldn't answer; she wasn't sure if it was because she was surprised that that was the first thing that Henry had said to her or that she was too happy to even form a sentence. Either way, she couldn't answer, so instead, she kissed both of her brothers gently on the head. There was one person who was missing in the picture perfect embrace and that was Robin. Instead of running to her like the boys had done, like she had wanted, he remained at the exact spot he had emerged from. Also, as opposed to looking elated like her brothers, Robin looked horrified. He knew that she had been locked up and he had had to come to terms with that while he and Regina fought to return to her, but he wasn't expecting her to look the way she did; battered and bloody and ill. She was ghostly pale, she had lost weight and she was covered head to toe in bruises and scratches. Esme knew that he was concerned; he had the same look on his face now as he did when Regina was in hospital. So, as she eventually escaped the clutches of her brothers, she began to walk towards him. As she got closer, she saw that his eyes were glistening.

"I'm fine," she said as she slowly walked towards him; she walked tentatively, as if se was worried that any sudden movements would startle him.

"No. You're not," he said and with that, he buried his face in his hands. Esme immediately went to him and wrapped her arms around him, desperate to comfort him in some way.

"It wasn't your fault, okay? None of it was your fault," she soothed as she gently stroked the back of his head and continued to hold him tight. Robin removed his face from his hands and looked Esme in the eye.

"I am your father. It is my job to protect you and I am so so sorry that I didn't. Please… please forgive me," he pleaded.

"I don't need to" Esme explained and with that Robin wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. Her head rested firmly on his broad shoulder and with the comfort of his arms around her, she sank into chest like it was home.

"Alright, alright, let the rest of us see her!" Granny ordered and seconds after Esme pulled herself form the comfort of Robins embrace, she was firmly in the arms of Granny. Granny rubbed Esme's backwash so much force, it was somewhat painful as her hands ran over her aching and bruised ribcage. This, however, was Granny's signature, and right after she made Esme delicately recoil in pain, Granny kissed her cheek.

"I'm glad you're home," Granny whispered into Esme's ear. Esme smiled at the sincerity and love with which she said it; she found it funny that woman who pretended to be so strong was actually such a mush. And she loved it. She had missed it.

"Glad to be home, Granny," Esme whispered in response and with that, Granny broke free of Esme's grip and hurried back to the kitchen.

Esme smiled as everyone immediately circled around her again, and as much as she appreciated their love and support, she was exhausted. There was nothing that she wanted more than a mug of tea and sleep.

Henry and Roland muscled their way in through the crowd and quickly attached themselves to her hips again, while Robin and Regina stopped beside her, attempting to answer some questions for her. She was getting bombarded.

"Leave the girl alone now everyone!" Granny barked as she emerged from the kitchen once more. Esme laughed as everyone immediately obeyed; they hugged and kissed her, told her how glad they were that she was home and either returned to their original places or left the diner for the evening.

"Regina!" Granny called and waved her hand; gesturing for Regina to join her at the counter, which she rolled her eyes at before she begrudgingly obliged. Esme watched as Granny handed her two huge, large dishes that were all wrapped up in foil, and handed her a little piece of paper. Regina smiled at her, genuinely, thanked her and then walked back towards her family. Robin immediately took the heavy dishes off Regina before giving her a confused look. Regina simply smiled.

"Granny said we are to take you home. She said she's made you some of her lasagne and some cobbler," Regina explained to Esme. Esme looked over at Granny and although Granny gave her the warmest smile she could muster, Esme wasn't quite content with leaving without thanking her. She walked to the counter, wrapped the older woman into a hug and thanked her.

"You get home safe now, you hear me?" Granny ordered, a demand to which Esme smiled.

"I hear ya," she said and after Granny puled her in for one last embrace, Esme turned to find Regina standing behind her.

"How about we get you home?" Regina asked as she stroked Esme's hair; although she intended for it to be an affectionate gesture, Esme's hair was so matted that her fingers got caught in amongst the tangles.

"And maybe a bath?" Regina continued.

"Well excuse me! Hygiene wasn't big over there," Esme laughed, as she ran her hands through her hair to see what the fuss was about; after which she quickly agreed with Regina.

"Come on," Regina laughed.

"Yay! Papa are we taking sissy home now? I want her to read me a story," Roland asked.

"They didn't read you stories when I was away?!" Esme asked dramatically and comically. She of course knew Regina did; she always did.

"They did but Gina doesn't do the voices as good as you," Roland laughed. Regina opened her mouth in mocked offence, which sent Roland into a fit of delightfully childlike, innocent giggles.

"Well just for that little guy, you are gonna get an extra long bath tonight!" Regina said and with that Roland ran out the door, with Regina close behind him. Robin laughed and put his arm around Esme's frail shoulders and, with Henry continuing to cling to her hand, the three said their goodbyes and walked out the door.


	26. Bonus Chapter 2

The air was brisk and chilling; the autumn had came to Storybrooke. The dress she was given in Messene offers little protection and so when she shivered, Robin chivalrously gave her his jacket and Henry gave her his scarf. Robin was somewhat haunted by the sight of Esme in his jacket; he understood that it would be far too big for her, but as it drowned her slender frame, it made her look even more thin and even more frail.

"You okay?" Esme asked Robin. "It's not like you to be quiet," Esme joked.

"Me? Oh yes i'm fine," he said. Esme knew that he was still blaming himself, but he was making a wonderful effort to hide it. He wrapped his arm around Esme's shoulder, kissed her head and watched as Regina came towards them, carrying Roland in her arms.

"Well look at the little baby that I found in the street!" Regina teased as she cradled Roland like a very large babe.

"I'm not a baby Gina! I'm Roland!" Roland giggled as he squirmed to get out of Regina's arms. It didn't take long for him to manage it; Regina could barely hold him as he lay still. Esme was shocked; he had grown so much in nearly a month.

The family of 5 laughed and joked while they walked home; it was idilic and uneventful. Esme knew that they were all itching to ask her questions, just like everyone at the diner, but she was grateful they didn't. She knew that she would have to talk to them about it, for herself as well as for them, but not tonight. Tonight all she wanted was nice warm bath, one of Henry's mugs of tea and to sleep in a bed that wasn't on the floor. Maybe even a pillow.

After a few moments of laughter and walking, they eventually made it home. Esme stared at the house in all of its splendour; the leaves of Regina's apple tree were beginning to litter the grey stone path, and the surrounding trees engulfed the grey and white house in a warm red and orange hue. The warm, golden glow of the lamp illuminated the house's porch and the lamps on the inside all seemed to be lit.

"Come on let's go!" Roland said as he grabbed Esme's hand and ran towards the door, pulling her quickly behind him. Henry quickly ran after them and jumped up onto the porch, just in time to cover Esme's eyes.

"Wh- Henry what are you doing?" Esme laughed, but her only response was a giggle. Roland continued his attempt to lead Esme through the house as Henry concentrated on covering her eyes, however Roland's navigation was particularly poor. So after Esme bumped her head and toes one too many times, Robin quickly took Roland's place while Regina took a frustrated Roland into her arms.

"Okay we're going up some stairs," Robin explained as he wrapped Esme's arm in his and carefully coaxed her up the stairs.

"Why can't I just see the stairs?"

"Because it's a surprise!" Henry explained.

"The stairs are a surprise?" Esme joked and although she couldn't see him, she knew Henry had probably rolled his eyes because Roland was in a fit of giggles behind her. Esme could feel it when they arrived at the top of the stairs and from the direction Robin was taking her, they were heading carefully to the bedrooms on the left.

"Okay, we are here," Robin said before Henry dramatically removed his hands from her eyes. The sight she was greeted with was Roland's room. With the stunning white walls and mouldings, the room looked even bigger than Esme remembered.

"Roland's room?" Esme said, utterly bemused as to why this was a surprise; her family knew that she had seen Roland's room countless times.

"Nope," Roland said with a very large, mischievous grin on his face. Regina had set him down and so he was not standing in the doorway with his arms crossed and looked very pleased with himself. Esme, still bemused, looked around her for someone to explain to her what was going on however this did not happen; Henry was stood in the doorway with Roland and Robins arms were wrapped tightly around Regina's waist, with his smiling face rested on her shoulder. All of them were simply smiling.

"What?" Esme laughed. "Roland this is your room. I've been here before you know," she explained.

"No it's not." Roland giggled.

"Wh- Roland yes it is!" Esme laughed as she replied.

"It's yours," Henry explained, he knew that Esme would never assume. Esme was in shock. She looked at Henry and Roland, waiting for them to laugh or giggle or somehow show her that this was a joke but they didn't. Then she looked at Regina and Robin, both of whom were beaming.

"Seriously?" Esme gasped. She couldn't remember the last time her heart had soared quite so much.

"Yes. I mean.. if you want it-" Regina explained but her talk was cut short when Esme's arms were wrapped tightly around both her neck and Robins.

"Oh my god are you kidding?! Thank you! Thank you so much!" Esme gushed as she kissed them both emphatically on their cheek. She somewhat awkwardly pulled away eventually, knowing it was unlike her to react in such a manner, but she was simply elated.

"Wait. But where does Roland sleep?" Esme asked.

"In our old room," Robin explained but Esme was still confused.

"But then where do you guys sleep?" Esme asked.

"We turned the second lounge into our room," Robin explained as he put his arm around Regina's shoulders. Esme smiled; every time Robin touched her, Regina smiled just a little. It was small. Almost unrecognisable. But it was there.

"Thank you so, so much!" Esme gushed as she grabbed one of each their hands in hers.

"Darling, you live here," Robin explained in his pretty English accent. It seemed so simplistic but she couldn't believe it. When she was away, she had thought about them every moment of every day. Silly as it seemed, to her this room was proof that they had done the same.

She turned around to look at the room, her room but her brothers remained in the doorway. She saw a huge smile spread across each of their faces and she knew exactly what they were thinking; they all raced to the large, luxurious white bed. Esme bounced upon impact and, although her bones ached, she couldn't help but giggle. The second she rolled over onto her back, Roland jumped onto her belly and Henry lay on top of them both; Esme had forgotten they loved to play pile-on.

"Okay! Okay! Don't smush your sister!" Roland bellowed.

Henry quickly got off, allowing Esme some more room to breath, but Roland needed to be tickled by Robin to relinquish the fun he was having.

"Here honey, you jump in your shower and we'll fix you some dinner," Regina explained as she handed Esme two soft black towels. Esme was having so much fun with her brothers that she didn't even notice Regina had left, but she was grateful for the towels; she desperately wanted a shower. Esme smiled as her brothers kissed her cheeks and Robin and Regina kissed her head; as if they were worried she was going somewhere. The irony was that hhe had absolutely no intention of ever leaving them again; she couldn't remember ever being quite as happy as she was in that moment. She had parents that fought for her, two brothers who adored her, a gorgeous room to herself and even her own bathroom. As she entered the bathroom Esne smiled some more; they had given her all soft, baby pink things. Pink soap, pink shampoo and conditioner, a pink lampshade and pink hand towels draped across the towel rack; this was definitely Henry's doing for he knew she loved pink. Once she had eventually figured out how to turn on the shower, which had at least 10 buttons, she stepped in and enjoyed the sensation of fresh, warm water bouncing off her back. The water was warm but not too warm, and although it initially stung each of her scrapes, it made her feel clean; something she hadn't felt in weeks. She washed her hair twice with shampoo and once with the conditioner and only left once she was sure that she had scrubbed off all of Messene's dirt. She emerged from the shower feeling fresh. She carefully strolled over to her pretty white bed and noticed that there was something set on it. As she lifted it up, it looked like a giant baby-grow. It was super soft, extremely fluffy and was soft pink with black hearts dotted across it. It also had a note.

'We bought this when you were away,

We missed you.

Love Henry and Roland'

Esme smiled and almost cried at the incredibly sweet gesture. Although she wasn't entirely sure how to put on a giant baby-grow, but it looked warm, and Esme was freezing so she eventually wore it. She towel dried her hair, which now smelled beautifully of cherries, and put it in a plait before walking down the stairs. She wasn't sure why, but the heat seemed to have made her joints hurt that little but more.

Just as she walked to the kitchen, she saw Regina pulling out Granny's lasagne from the oven; it looked steaming hot and delicious. The smell of it made Esme's stomach grumble and it wasn't until then Esme realised that she was starving hungry.

"Hey, just in time," Regina said with a huge smile. Robin was pouring everyone a drink, Henry was setting out the knives and forks and Roland was already sitting at the table, waiting patiently for his food. Esme looked to Robin to see what he wanted her to do.

"You sit, we'll look after you m'lady," he joked and performed an overly dramatic bow that made Esme laugh. The second that Esme sat at the table, Roland moved from his chair to her knee, and the two began to talk about everything she had missed; apparently Roland played in the woods and shot Henry with his toy bow and arrow a lot when she was away. Henry and the rest of the family quickly joined them and the five of them enjoyed their food and discussed everything that Esme had missed; Zelena was working with Emma on something but they didn't know what, the two of them had been missing ever since Zelena helped Cyrus take Regina and Rumplestilskin had awoken from his coma and was not longer evil. Esme couldn't quite grasp that in just under one month so much had happened. She was still processing everything when she was suddenly overcome with a wave of tiredness; her eyes felt heavy and she couldn't prevent a yawn from escaping her.

"I'm sorry," Esme said. She was annoyed at herself; she was having such a lovely time catching up with everyone. She didn't want to sleep and miss a second more than she had to but she could no longer deny it; she was exhausted.

"Don't be silly. Why don't you get to your bed and we'll bring you up that tea you wanted," Robin explained as he took her fragile hand in his.

"Thank you," Esme said as she returned his warm smile and patted his hand with her free one. She then got up and just as she was about to leave the kitchen, Roland quickly jumped from his chair into Esme, who whirled around just in time to catch him.

"Oh!" Esme gasped. She tried to mask it as surprise, but Roland's little knee had whacked off Esme's very bruised ribs, causing a sharp pain to shoot through Esme's chest.

"You okay?" a concerned Henry asked as he stood up.

"Oh, yeah i'm fine. This little monkey just surprised me," Esme said as she tickled Roland until he giggled.

"Mind if we join?" Henry asked as Esme put Roland back onto the ground.

"Sure," Esme said happily. To be truthful, she was glad of the company. She hadn't slept much when she was in Messene, however when she had, she either had a vision or had nightmares of all of the fighting. Neither of these made for a particularly rejuvenating sleep.

"Love the onesie, by the way," Henry joked.

"Is that was this is? It's very comfortable," Esme explained.

"Ha! I'm glad you like it," Henry joked.

"I love it! And I love you, you know that right little brother?" Esme said as she put her arm around Henry who was practically her height now.

"Love you too sis. You're okay?" Henry asked. He desperately wanted to ask her everything that had happened, but Regina had warned them before she left that they weren't to talk about anything unless Esme brought it up.

"I am now," Esme smiled. It wasn't a complete lie; she was fine right now. In fact she was better than fine; she was happy. She was in agony and terrified as well, but Henry didn't need to know that. Once Esme had slowly made her way up the stairs, with the aid of Henry, she heard Roland shouting:

"Sissy? Henry? Sissy! Henry!"

As they got closer to Esme's room, they saw a very excited Roland bouncing up and down on Esme's gorgeous white bed.

"Well hey there!" Esme laughed. Roland bounced onto his butt and sat panting on the bed.

"Can I sleep now?" Esme laughed.

"Can we watch your TV while you sleep?" Roland asked.

"Sure," Esme laughed. She knew that she was tired, but she didn't quite anticipate how exhausted she really was. She fluffed the delectably soft cushions and sat up in her bed as the mattress hugged every inch of her aching body. Once Henry grabbed the remote, he sat next to Esme on her left, sitting on the covers Esme was firmly wrapped up under. Roland quickly lay with his head on Esme's now cushioned belly and wrapped his arm around her waist. Esme relished the comfort, but the second she placed her head on Henry's shoulder, she fell quickly asleep.

"Okay honey here's your-" Regina began but she was quickly shushed by Henry.

"She just fell asleep," Henry whispered as Robin quickly joined Regina in the doorway.

"And Roland?" Robin asked. Henry tried to check, but he didn't want to move and wake Esme.

"I don't know but could you check? I don't want to wake her," Henry explained seconds before he yawned.

"I'm sure she won't mind being woken up if you want to go to bed," Regina said as she carefully sat on the edge of the bed next to Henry and brushed his black hair away from his face.

"Nah, I think i'll just sleep here with them tonight," Henry explained. Regina couldn't help but look at him with adoration; he had become such a warm and caring young man. She was immensely proud.

"Okay. I love you, Henry," Regina said as she cradles his still childlike face.

"Love you too, mom," Henry said with a smile. Regina looked to Robin, who was wrapping a blanket carefully around a sleeping Roland. He nodded, assuring her that Roland was sleeping, and after they both kissed each child carefully on the head they tentatively closed the door as they left and stared at one another.

"Hi," Robin said with a smile.

"Hi," Regina laughed as Robin wrapped her in his arms and held her tight. Together, the two just stood there. Frozen. Relishing in each and every moment of comfort that they gained from their embrace. Regina couldn't help but smile as Robin gently lifted his head from her shoulder and tantalisingly began kissing her neck.

"Mmmmm" Regina laughed. "We can't! Henry isn't even asleep yet!" she whispered.

"I just missed you!" Robin proclaimed in an almighty loud whisper that made Regina laugh.

"Robin, I was gone for one day," Regina laughed as the two slowly began to make their way downstairs, hand-in-hand. Regina couldn't help but smile; ever since her return, Robin hadn't left her side. He constantly needed be be close to her, touching her; as if he needed reassurance that she wasn't going anywhere again.

"Well, my love, that was one day too many," Robin said as he kissed the top of her head. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Regina turned to him, put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Slowly and gently, but still enough to send shivers up Robins spine. The way she gently ran her fingers through his hair and gradually brought it to his cheek made Robin quiver. Robin was desperate for it to last longer, for it to go further, but Regina pulled away. She saw the look of disappointment on his face, and smiled.

"We have a kitchen to tidy! We have three kids now remember? That's even more washing up," Regina joked.

"Yes, how did that happen, by the way?" Robin joked in return and the two simply laughed. They knew that neither one regretted their life, or wished it was entirely different, but the circumstances in which they had formed their family was somewhat ridiculous.

"What happened when you got there?" Robin asked Regina as he began to lift the dishes from the table and bring them to the sink.

It was during the cleaning up process that Regina began explaining what had happened when in Messene. She told him all about the fighting, about Esme's powers, about Esme giving up being Empress. All of it.

"Is she alright?" Robin asked.

"Honestly? I don't know," Regina explained.

"Are you alright?" he asked as set down the towel he had been using to dry the dishes Regina had washed. He moved behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist; wanting desperately to make her feel safe.

"I am now," Regina said after a slight pause. She ran her fingers along Robin's hand and arms.

"Were you scared?" he asked.

"Yes. There were so many of them I…. I wasn't sure I could get her out. I wasn't sure that we'd come home to you, " Regina told him honestly.

"Regina," Robin said as he carefully spun her around until she was facing him.

"I will spend the rest of my life thanking you for bringing our daughter home. I give you my word," Robin vowed. Robin had known he'd loved Regina for years now however, seeing her risk her life to protect their daughter, and to bring her home, made him fall head over heels in love with her, yet again. Regina had a glint of tears in her eyes as he spoke, but Robin continued.

"Come here," he said as he grabbed her hand and carefully pulled her to their living room.

"Robin what are you doing?" Regina giggled.

"Shh, i'm trying to be spontaneous and romantic!"

"In our living room?" Regina giggled.

"Yes! In our living room! Now shh and let me get back to the romance and spontaneity," he said as he sat Regina down next to the fire; where they had their first date. Regina giggled, but she gladly obliged.

"Do you remember what happened here?" Robin asked. Regina raised her eye-brow in a way that made Robin smirk; Robin hadn't quite thought that question through entirely for the two had enjoyed many wonderful… sleeps… in this particular spot, but that wasn't what he wanted Regina to remember.

"No not that. I mean, do you remember the first date that we had?"

"Of course," Regina said as she took off her heels and returned her gaze to Robin. Usually, he was charming and confident and funny, but tonight he was so concerned and flustered that he could barely speak.

"Do you remember what I said?"

"You're going to have to narrow that one down.."

"About timing.." Robin said before closing his eyes in frustration. His initially intention was to coax the answer out of Regina, but he quickly realised that he realised he had just given her the answer.

"You said it's all about timing," Regina giggled as she gently soothed Robin by stroking his cheek.

"This isn't even close to how I wanted this to go," Robin laughed as he leaned forward and buried his head in Regina's should in mock embarrassment.

"But I am so glad i've made you smile," Robin said and kissed her gently on the lips. He rested his head on hers for a moment, breathing in her smell.

"What isn't going as you planned?" Regina asked as she continued to rest her head on Robins.

"I had a vision when you were away," Robin whispered, completely avoiding Regina's question.

"What?!" Regina said as she pulled away from him; she needed to see him better.

"Are you okay?!" Regina asked desperately; logically she knew that he was fine but she also knew the pain that was involved.

"I'm fine," Robin said as he kissed her nose reassuringly.

"I don't mean to worry you, my love. I just … I saw us."

"Okay…?" Regina said, waiting for more information before she properly responded.

"I asked you to marry me," Robin explained. Regina was stunned; they had never had the same memory. When Regina failed to answer, Robin continued.

"And I think you know that," he explained. Regina looked to the ground.

"Regina why didn't you tell me?" Robin implored.

"I.. I got the vision when we were in Messene and I.. I didn't want you to feel like you had to.. do anything," Regina tried to explain.

"Have to- what? Marry you?" Robin asked.

"Well, yes."

"Regina listen to me," he said as he took her hand in his.

"I got this a month ago," he said as he reached under one of the cushions from the couch and pulled out a small little black box. Regina looked at it and then looked at Robin; as if she needed him to reassure her that this was real, that this was actually happening.

"I have loved you for a very long time. The only thing that that vision proved to me what that we are meant to be together. I love you; I loved you then and I love you now. I will always, always love you. You being taken away from me was.. it was one of the worst things imaginable, but it proved something to me. I need you. I don't ever want to wake up without you beside me. I don't ever want to live without you as my wife. I know that I have put you through hell, but if you'll let me, I will spend the rest of our lives making it up to you."

"You don't have to-"

"I do. Regina I was born to love you. I was born to protect you. I was born to be your husband. And if you'll let me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to prove that to you."

"Now it's my turn," Regina said with a warm, calm smile.

"What?" Robin laughed.

"It's my turn! In the vision I didn't say anything even though there were a million things that I wanted to so i'm going to say them now. Robin, years ago, I gave you my heart, and from that moment, I never quite got it back. You showed me that I was worthy of love at a time I didn't think I deserved it. You saw a light in me that only Henry saw. You are my second chance. Robin, I love you - with every bone in my body, I love you - and I would be so honoured and so proud to be your wife. I know it's not much, but all that I am and all that I have is yours. It's always been yours," Regina explained. She stopped and gently wiped a tear that had rolled down Robin's cheek.

"Ask me," Regina said through teary eyes and a huge, toothy smile.

"Well that's oddly nostalgic-" he laughed.

"Just ask me," Regina implored. Robin wiped away the remaining tears that fell down his cheeks and opened the delicate looking, antique black box. It revealed a ring. Regina's ring.

"Where did you-" Regina exclaimed but she was too amazed to even complete the sentence. The emerald was small and delicate, and the band was an intricate design of gold branches delicately encompassing the emerald.

"Regina?" Robin asked.

"Yes?"

"Will you do me the great honour, of becoming my wife?" he asked. Before Robin could even finish his proposal, Regina was lifting the ring from the box and placing it on her finger; all Robin could do was laugh.

"Hmmm," Regina teased, to which Robin acted offended.

"Yes!" Regina proclaimed mere seconds before Robin's lips met hers. Their kiss was soft and gentle. Teasing. But their separation from one another and their recent engagement got the better of them, and within moments their kisses became hot and fevered. The two desperately tugged at one another clothes, teasing one another while they did so.

"Wait! The kids are just upstairs!" Regina panted as Robin kissed her neck with his soft, hungry lips.

"Well my love, there are advantages to having our bedroom downstairs?" he said as he grabbed her hand and led her to their room. He waited until they were mere meters away from their bedroom before he kissed her once again. He held her perfect face in his hands and had to tear himself away from her to walk any further. In the brief moment that their lips parted, the two looked at one another; Regina gave him a devilishly flirtatious smile. In response, Robin hungrily lifted her up into his arms.

"What are you doing?!" Regina giggled.

"I am going to … sleep…. with my future wife," Robin stated as he carried Regina into the bedroom and promptly shut the door.


	27. Wedding: Part 1

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

The incessant ring and buzzing of the new phone that Henry had given to Esme woke her up. Rudely. She flung her arm in the general direction of her delicate white bedside table, but was greatly unsuccessful in her attempts to silence the peculiar alarm without opening her eyes. Thus it was with great anger that she abruptly shoved her hair out of her face, slowly opened her eyes and began to search for the cause of her annoyance. Once the blurriness had subsided and her eyes had grown accustomed to the light that was beginning to peak through her beautiful pink curtains, Esme was able to locate the irritant with ease.

 _7.45._

This was the time that appeared when she pressed the button Henry had showed her to press; the phones Esme had previously encountered weren't quite as sophisticated, or complicated, as this one. Today was the day. With that realisation, Esme was filled with so much excitement, and indeed a hint of apprehension, that she was able to run down the stairs and into the kitchen within mere moments of waking up. Today would be perfect. Esme was sure of it; and she was so sure of it because she would make it so. After everything that Regina and Robin had been through, they deserved one day.

It had been one month since Robin proposed. Four, short weeks within which so much had happened. Emma had forced Zelena into early labour the day after Esme returned home and so Robin's baby was born. Robin was, of course, utterly besotted and had been from the second he met her; the rest of the Hood-Mills family, however, were unsure. It was clear from the beginning that although they were all told that the baby was their sister and should be treated as such, Henry's alliance lay firmly with his mother, who was forced to hide her pain every second the baby was here. Roland was far too young to understand what was happening; he simply viewed her as something new to play with, even though he occasionally forgot that she was not a doll. Esme was more conflicted. She loved both Robin and Regina, but she also loathed Zelena. She knew that the circumstances surrounding the baby were difficult, to say the least, but she also couldn't pretend to understand why Robin had slept with her even when he thought that she was Marion. She loved that Robin had a daughter; a daughter that he would be able to see grow. She knew that this was something he was devastated about losing out on with her, but it also angered her at how little he seemed to care for Regina. After their experience in Messene, Esme had grown fiercely protective of her mother and, although she knew that it wasn't entirely fair, she felt greater sympathy for her mother than she did for her father. She knew that he was trying, and she understood that he was in an incredibly difficult situation, however she also felt that sometimes, his priorities lay in the wrong place. A prime example of this is that he insisted on baby Hope being a part of the wedding. Esme and Henry both knew that it killed Regina to hear that; how could it not? Gorgeous and cute as she was, that baby was a constant reminder of Robin's horrendous ordeal, a reminder of something Regina would never have and the true wickedness of her sister. And just to rub salt into the wound, his attacker was walking free and attempting to play mommy. It's not that Esme and her brother's hated the baby; they didn't. Nor were they jealous that there was a new baby in the home, like Granny had suggested. They simply hated Zelena; they had the situation that surrounded Hope, notHope herself. Robin continually insisted that people can change, and used Regina as an example. What he failed to realise was that Regina and Zelena were two very different people. Yes, Regina was an evil, horrendous person, but she knew that and that was in the past. She regretted that. Zelena? She was just as evil and equally horrendous, but she relished in it. While Regina was ashamed, Zelena was proud. While Regina cried, Zelena cackled. She saw nothing wrong with the way she treated people. She saw no wrong in her behaviour. What Robin failed to acknowledge was that you can't change someone, they have to change themselves; that wont happen if they don't see anything wrong to begin with. As lovely as Hope's arrival was for Robin, the rest of his family felt uncomfortable and this tension had been bubbling under the surface for weeks. Esme couldn't pretend to understand why Robin continually defended Zelena, perhaps it was in some way to justify his action, but she did understand that he loved Regina; she just wished that he had showed that a little bit more. Hope was born the night after Robin proposed to Regina; they hadn't even told Esme, Henry or Roland until they arrived at the hospital and saw the ring on Regina's finger. Since then, everything was about Zelena and Hope. The only time Robin and Regina spent alone together was at night, and even then they alternated shifts with Hope. This month had been particularly trying, for all of the family, but it did show Esme one thing; Regina had truly changed. Yes she could be cold and calculating, but that wasn't her personality, that was a facade; a side of her rarely came out unless it was in defence of her family. Henry always boasted about how proud he was of her and the person that she had become and Esme could tell how genuine he was when he said it. From what Esme had heard, years ago she would never have been able to deal with this situation; surprise daughter, evil sister, surprise niece who is also your one true love's daughter. But now? Now she was getting up in the middle of the night feeding her love's child or lulling her to sleep and she was doing it all with such grace. Esme was simply in awe of her mother. This is why she wanted today to be perfect. Regina deserved it to be perfect. As she began to make Regina's wedding breakfast, just like Granny had taught her, she found herself wishing. She wished that Regina was more excited about her wedding day, she wished Robin would show her the love she deserved, but most of all, she wished that Zelena would stay away. Regina locked her back into the prison the second she was captured after helping Hook. Although Regina allowed her some visitation with Hope, she was still a threat and a giant pain in everyones ass. She was unrelentingly and unashamedly wicked; something Esme simply could not look past.

Esme jumped as the toast popped up from the toaster and just as she began slathering it in butter and the jam Regina liked, she heard her phone buzz on the counter where she had left it. She eventually answered.

"Hello?" Esme asked.

"Esme?" said a gentle voice on the other end.

"Henry?"

"Yeah! We.. uh, we have a situation," Henry explained and with that, Esme knew that Regina simply was not going to get her special day. She had said so for months; she repeatedly told Esme that she always waited on something bad happening just when things were going well and Esme feared that this was it.

"What? What happened? I though you were just camping?" Esme asked. The plan was that Robin would take the boys camping and Regina and Esme would have a girly evening before the wedding. Esme did Regina's nails and they chatted and laughed till the early hours; it was such a lovely evening that Esme thought she had actually made Regina somewhat excited.

"We were. But Robin took Hope to see Zelena this morning and she.. well she said that she didn't want Hope at the wedding. She took her and she ran," Henry explained. Esme heard the gentle buzz of wind through the speakers so assumed that he was walking somewhere.

"She what? How is that even possible?" Esme asked.

"I don't know. Robin said she stabbed his arm with something, took the baby and ran out of the cell. Everyone was too confused to stop her," Henry explained. He heard silence on the other end of the phone and so felt it necessary to offer further explanation.

"Don't worry Robin is fine, and we don't think she would ever hurt Hope-"

"Don't you? Henry she still calls her 'the baby'," Esme feared. If anything happened that baby, Robin would be destroyed.

"Well yeah but that's because Hope was mom's suggestion," Henry explained.

"That's true. She's high security! What the hell did she even stab him with? Eugh! What difference does it make to her if Hope is at the wedding?" Esme demanded, but was quick to calm herself; she didn't want to wake Regina.

"Robin said he wont get married without all of his children there.. that includes Hope. Zelena knows that," Henry explained.

"She wants to the stop the wedding," Esme realised.

"Yeah, I think so. But we aren't going to let that happen! Esme our mom deserves one, perfect day. Especially after all the good she's done and everything she has been through. They both do!"

"I know honey. Don't worry, we'll sort it out. Where is Robin now?"

"Looking for Zelena."

"Well you go join him. I'll call Snow and Belle to come over and try and get mom into the wedding spirit and i'll try a locater spell. Give me 30 minutes?"

"Okay. Thanks sis," Henry said.

"No problem. Love you, bye!" Esme stated. She readily plated up Regina's wedding breakfast and just as she was waiting on the coffee machine to make her coffee, she called Belle and Snow. They weren't exactly happy to be called at 8am on a Saturday morning but they agreed to come over and help Regina get ready, which eased Esme's fears ever so slightly. As she slowly carried the tray into her mother room, she was relieved to see that Regina was still asleep. She carried the tray slowly to her mother's antique looking wooden side-table and carefully set the heavy tray down before jumping onto the beautiful, blue satin bed.

"Wake up!" Esme said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. Regina would never find out about the events this morning; not until after the wedding.

"Oh! What time is it!" Regina asked as she slowly pulled Esme into a cuddle. With Esme's head resting on her shoulder, Regina very nearly fell straight back to sleep.

"Mom? Come on! It's your wedding day!" Esme exclaimed.

"Is it?" Regina said as she began to sit herself up. She smiled at the breakfast that Esme had lovingly made for her, but she spoke with such uncertainty that Esme's heart broke a little. The day was here, and she still didn't believe that she deserved to be happy.

"Of course it is! Nothing is going to happen today mom. I promise!" Esme said, before kissing her mom on the head and sliding of the slippery satin bed.

"Now, I am going to go check on your husband-to-be and sons. Snow and Belle are coming over to help you get ready-"

"Belle and Snow? What about you?" Regina asked, looking genuinely disappointed.

"I will be back in one hour, max!" Esme said as she walked over to her mothers side, took her hand and kissed it. She had promised Regina that she would be there to help her do her hair; Regina really wanted her to be a part of the wedding and Esme knew that. She wouldn't let her down.

"Good. I don't want to do any of this, not without you here. Okay?" Regina said. Esme relished every moment she had in which her mother was somewhat vulnerable. She adored her mother's fierceness, and respected her great intelligence, but she loved these little glimpses of the vulnerable, loving woman that she truly was; it made Esme feel closer to her. Like she had seen a side of her that few others had.

"You won't have to. I promise." Esme swore and with that, the doorbell rang.

"One hour, okay?" Esme asked and kissed her mother on the head as she ran to get the door.

"One hour and then i'll come and get you myself you understand?" Regina shouted. Esme laughed as she opened the door; she was surprised to see Snow, Belle and Granny.

"Granny?" Esme said with clear surprise.

"I'm here for you, no one else," Granny said as she walked past Esme and straight into the house.

"Oh. Well thank you but Granny i'm not getting ready till later," Esme laughed. Granny loved Esme, and Esme her, but she wasn't exactly Regina's biggest fan. And she certainly wasn't shy about making that perfectly clear.

"So i'll wait here till then," she explained as she made her way quickly to the kitchen. Esme smiled and ran upstairs to get ready as Snow and Belle had already gone into Regina and began to keep her occupied. After quickly pulling on some leggings and the first jumper Esme could find in her closet, she ran downstairs, shouted goodbye to her mom before she got a list of orders and then ran towards the town square.

It was after a mere 5 moments of brisk walking that she heard a horrendous bang and watched in horror as a huge cloud of bust and smoke rose into the air; it came from city hall.

"No," Esme whispered. That was the venue. The one thing Esme had thought was actually, definitely organised for this wedding had literally just gone up in a puff of smoke, and there was nothing that she could do about it. She pulled out her cellphone and immediately called Henry, who answered after only a couple of rings.

"Well, we found Zelena," Henry said, already well aware as to what Esme was ringing about.

"What the hell happened? That can't have been her; she has the cuff on-"

"Hook."

"Hook? I thought he was in hiding since the Dar- Emma started trying to vanquish the darkness or something?"

"True, but he's standing outside an exploded town hall beside Zelena so i'm thinking Zelena is team Hook," Henry explained.

"Is everyone okay?" Esme asked.

"Yeah. She still has the baby. Robin is trying to talk to her but she's just screaming about how mom doesn't deserve to be happy-"

"Keep her talking. I'm on my way," Esme stated.

"What are you going to do?"

"I dunno. Compel her?"

"To do what?"

"Give Hope to Robin, go to her cell and stay there. I'll think of something more permanent later."

"What about Hook?"

"I dunno. I guess i'll deal with him once i'm there. I'm like, two minutes away so i'll see you soon,"

"Okay. See you soon,"

With that, Esme ran. She had no doubt that Regina would come looking for her the second that one hour had passed; she needed this dealt with and she needed that done now. As she finally reached the street and turned the corner towards the town hall, she saw the remnants of what looked like a war-torn building and a defiant Zelena standing proudly with Hope in her arms and Hook by her side.

"Ah look, the long-lost child is here," Zelena cackled.

"What the hell is this? Hook?" Esme asked, completely baffled as to why there was now another player in this ridiculous game that Zelena had made her life.

"Don't think it's about you love. Your witch of a mother is helping Emma; i'm merely returning the favour."

"So in return for my mom trying to help turn you good, you what? Destroy her wedding venue? A giant pain in the ass, yes. But not particularly villainous, Dark One," Esme taunted. She knew that that probably wasn't the best tactic, but Roland and Henry were standing a couple of meters behind Robin and Hope was in the arms of a psychopath;she needed Hook to leave. The only way she could think of making him leave was to get him angry enough to hopefully poof back to wherever he came from.

"Perhaps not, but killing her daughter would be," Hook said and just as quickly as a smile had spread across his face, he rushed towards Esme with an outstretched hook and murderous eyes. Besides being somewhat startled at the speed at which he moved, Esme found it relatively easy to put him down; he may have had no conscience, but he also had no magic. Esme immediately floored him and knocked him unconscious, far away from her and her family. Zelena quickly raised her arm, probably an act of sheer instinct, but she was forced to reluctantly lower it when she was reminded of the cuff that was firmly placed on her wrist. As Esme slowly but confidently walked towards her, she watched as Zelena's plan slowly began to crumble. Yes, Hook was a dark one, but he was new and he didn't have magic, or at the very least, he couldn't use it yet. So Zelena was really quite ineffective without her magic. That, however, didn't stop her from using her mouth to spout her poison.

"Well, well, look who learned some things when she was away. So sorry I wasn't able to welcome you home, I was slightly busy having your fathers other daughter. Oh, that must be quite difficult for you. Seeing him with a little girl he is actually going to raise," she hissed, trying desperately to get some sort of a rise out of Esme.

"It's fine, you weren't very high up on my list anyway. Especially after you were the reason I was there in the first place," Esme responded as she stood in front of Zelena. Esme's arms were crossed and her body was relatively relaxed, but she was careful never to take her eyes off Zelena; not for one moment. Zelena wanted to play; Esme wasn't going to let her.

"Ah, well you see in my defence, they weren't actually supposed to give you back," Zelena teased. Esme raised her arm in fury. Although she was unsure about what spell she would use, she was filled with such anger that she didn't really care; she wanted so desperately to shut Zelena up. She would have done so, had Robin not grabbed her arm.

"Don't rise to her Esme," Robin told her and, as much as she hated him leaping to Zelena's defence once again, she knew that he was right. So she very begrudgingly lowered her arm.

"Yes, there's a good little girl. I wonder if our daughter will be as obedient Robin," Zelena teased. A villainous, sickening smile had etched its way across her smug face. She dripped poison into every word and watched with glee as everyone was forced to listen to her drivel. Esme didn't even have a tempter, not really. But as Zelena stood there taunting Robin, Esme understood why Regina had struggled so much recently.

"Give her to me," Robin said, looking at Zelena disgust and hate in his eyes. How could he find good even a glimmer of hope in a that mocked what she had done, a woman who was actually proud of what she had done. .

"Mmmm, see the thing with that is… well I don't really want to. You see, if I give you my daughter, Regina will go on to have her perfect little wedding day, and you two can run off into the sunset and live happily ever after. As i'm sure you know, I will never let that happen-"

"Surely you understand that if we don't get married today, then we will get married sometime else," Robin said, utterly perplexed at Zelena's wickedness. He wanted to believe that there was good in her, he truly did, for Hope. He simply couldn't discover any.

"Then I will ruin it that time too. And the time after that. And the time after that. Really, Robin i thought you were more intelligent than this,

"Love always wins, Zelena," Robin said defiantly.

"Ha! Does it? So Regina is more important to you than our daughter" Zelena cackled as she slowly began walking around as she bounced Hope in her arms.

"What? I love that little girl," Robin implored.

"But what are you willing to do for her?" Zelena hissed as she pranced around encircling Robin and his family.

Whilst Esme focussed on Zelena, she failed to notice that Hook had now regained consciousness and had made his way towards Zelena. Well, she noticed; but too late. Seconds before Esme could hurl him into the air, he was able to use his dark hook to break the cuff off of Zelena's wrist.

"No!" Robin called. Panic had spread across his face. Now, things were slightly more dangerous. Esme immediately went to Henry and Roland and told them to go to Granny's. Although Henry was reluctant to leave, he was an excellent big brother, thus when Esme reminded him they needed to keep Roland safe, he conceded. Once she watched as Henry and Roland safely turned the corner, she stood by her father's side, ready to defend or attack.

"What's wrong now little seer? Cat got your tongue?" Zelena cackled as Esme was stupefied with fear. She wasn't worried about Zelena's magic, she was worried that the slightest movement was cause Zelena to poof off into oblivion with Hope. Esme was quite content to let Robin attempt to diffuse the situation, but the more Zelena spoke, the more bemused he seemed.

"Zelena what do you want?" Esme asked. To be truthful, she genuinely didn't care about what Zelena want; she simply needed to stall her long enough so that she could form some sort of a plan.

"Oh well now you mention it, I would like world peace, an education for all women aaannnd… oh, and my sister's head would be quite nice," Zelena stated before throwing her head back and letting out a blood curdling cackle.

"She's my daughter too Zelena," Robin implored but the more he begged, the greater Zelena's hubris grew.

"Mmmm, but you weren't exactly a willing participant were you Robin. No, you didn't want her. I wanted her! And I wont have you, or my perfect little sister, take her away from me. It doesn't matter if you love her. You would choose my evil little sister over her!" Zelena screamed. Her confident exterior quickly disappeared; she seemed manic. Genuinely and worryingly manic. Esme couldn't tell if she loved the baby because she was her child or simply because she was something to hold over Regina; Esme guessed the latter.

"What do you want me to do, Zelena? Say i'll cancel the wedding!? Fine! Just give me my daughter!" Robin shouted. The second he said it, he regretted it. He didn't want that. He had never wanted that, but he hoped the threat would be enough. He had proposed to Regina because he loved her; with every fibre in his body yearning for her to call him hers. But he couldn't see another way out of this; Zelena wanted proof he loved Hope and that was the only way he could prove it to her.

"Robin?"

Esme watched as the heart-breaking events unfolded in utter silence, however her heart sank to the bottom of her stomach as quickly as a rock fell to the bottom of an ocean at that sound. Regina. As she turned around, she saw Regina standing mere meters away, with curlers in her hard and her white camisole on. However her clothes were wholly unimportant, for it was the look of utter devastation that was etched into her face that truly mattered.

"Regina. I-" Robin began as he tried desperately to explain himself but Regina had already poofed herself away in a cloud of purple smoke. Robin ran to where Regina had been standing, but she was long gone. She had left, and taken his heart with her.


	28. Wedding Part 2

"Zelena?" Esme shouted, to which Zelena did exactly what Esme wanted her to, albeit unintentionally; she looked Esme directly in the eye. That was all Esme needed.

 _"_ _Give Hope to Henry. Then go back to your cell. Stay there,"_ Esme compelled. She struggled slightly, she was slightly rusty, but despite being able to feel Zelena's slight resistance, she eventually felt it work. Zelena realised her mistake immediately and clearly wasn't happy about Esme's success, but Esme's compelling forced her body to move independently. Within seconds she was forced to obey. Esme watched as Zelena begrudgingly handed baby Hope to Henry and slowly move towards the direction of the prison. Although she knew that her compelling had worked, she didn't trust Zelena at all, thus the necessity to get someone to accompany her quickly became evident. Henry and Roland were attempting to look after Hope, while Robin was shoving his hands through his hair and pacing along the street. Thankfully, Snow and Belle and had arrived with Regina, and although they looked incredibly uncomfortable, they stayed following Robin's outburst.

"Snow, would you mind escorting Zelena back to her cell," Esme asked as she quickly kicked into leadership mode. Following the slight apprehension that she perceived from Snow, Esme rushed to grab the magic cuff from the floor and firmly secured it to Zelena's wrist. She turned around immediately so that she could deal with Hook but he had gone, something Esme wasn't particularly angered or annoyed about. It was then that she turned to Belle.

"Belle, can you take my brothers and Hope to David?" Esme asked. Both women dutifully nodded and so Esme quickly made her way towards Robin.

"I'm an idiot. I am such an idiot." Robin was pacing from one side of the street to the other, gripping his hair with his shaking hands. Esme let him repeat himself for a while but eventually joined him when he flopped onto the sidewalk.

"Yeah, you kind of are," Esme said as she plonked herself next to him.

"Don't ever become a counsellor, my darling," Robin laughed after he initially looked at Esme with shock.

"To be fair, it's not really you that needs comforting now is it? Dad, how would you have felt if you walked in on Regina telling.. I dunno, Daniel, that she would cancel your wedding if thats what he wanted?" Esme implored. She didn't want to sound harsh, truly she didn't. She wanted him to feel supported, but she also needed him to get out of his own head and try and think like Regina.

"I didn't me-," he began but he stopped himself, realising that attempting to rationalise or what he had done was futile because Esme was right. It must have killed Regina to see what he had done, especially after Zelena looked smug, and there was no way that he could rationalise that.

"I love her, Esme. I love her so much," Robin said with a slight laugh. Although it was peculiar, Esme somehow knew exactly what Robin was feeling. In fact, she had often wondered it herself; surely for two people who loved each other as much as Regina and Robin did, things should be slightly easier.

"I know. And she knows that too. I think you just have to remind her of that," Esme explained as she nudged her fathers shoulder. The despair that had been in his eyes slowly dwindled away and smiled slightly at his daughters gesture.

"Eugh! I promised her this perfect day and I couldn't even give that to her," Robin said as he buried his head in his hands.

"This wasn't your fault. Well this was," Esme said as she moved her hands in a circular motion, attempting to reference the events that had immediately preceded their conversation.

"But the rest of it? That's on Zelena," Esme explained.

"Things shouldn't be this complicated," Robin mumbled into his hands.

"Then un-complicate them," Esme suggested as she linked her arm into her fathers and rested her head on his shoulder.

"An how do you propose do that?" Robin asked as he gently placed a kiss on Esme's head before resting his head on hers and staring into the distance.

"I dunno. I guess you just keep your promise; make her happy," Esme said to which Robin quickly lifted his head. Esme jumped slightly at the haste with which he completed the action and watched as within seconds a smile had spread across his face, Esme's face was in his hands and a firm kiss was planted straight onto Esme's forehead. He then got to his feet and began to run, abandoning his bow and arrow on the pavement with Esme.

"Hey! Shouldn't we go find Mom?!" Regina shouted after him as she stood up, utterly bemused.

"I already know where she is!" Robin called as he sprinted towards the woods. He raced as fast as his legs would carry him, desperate to make this disaster of a day better as soon as possible. This was supposed to be his wedding day. He was supposed to be putting on his best clothes and getting prepared to marry the woman he had loved for as long as he could remember. All he had ever wanted was to call Regina his wife, to crawl up next to her when she was feeling down or stressed and to be the person to calm her down. What was worse was that he already had that. He got to love her, he got to hold her and he got to cherish every second of every day with her; it terrified him that there was a very real possibility that he had thrown that away. Regina knew that he hated Zelena as much as, if not more than she did, but he had to an overwhelming feeling of duty. He felt it was his duty, to his daughter, to feel something other than hate for her. He had to at least try to see some glimpse of good in her because his daughter deserved that; Hope deserved a mother who would love her, protect her and cherish her as much as he did. Thus, even though he was almost certain Zelena wasn't capable of actually feeling love, he had to try. But as he ran towards the spot he knew that Regina would be, he realised what a terrible, horrible thing he had just done. He couldn't change what had happened with Zelena; Hope was here now. What he hated was how he had mishandled the entire situation. He had focussed so much on trying to appease Zelena and trying to give make the mother of his daughter somewhat tolerable that he had completely overlook the one woman who could give Hope that. Regina had been there for Hope. She had helped change Hopes diapers, she had got up in the middle of the night to soothe her and it was Regina who was there with him at Hope's birth. The entire situation was horrendous for her, but she put her feelings aside to protect Robin; he was ashamed that he had failed to do the same. He needed her. He depended on her. Her strength, her courage and her love were all things Robin longed to be worthy of. Her transformation was one that should be admired, but it was foolish to think that Zelena could emulate it. He had finally realised that Zelena's hatred for Regina would always supersede the importance of their daughter; hell, Zelena only had to baby to anger Regina. Robin was immensely grateful that Zelena's plan didn't work, he just had to show Regina that.

"Regina?" Robin asked. She was sitting on the log they had had their first encounter in this land. He didn't even have to see her face to know the pain that was displayed across it. It was a pain he knew that she was going to try and hide the second he sat next to here. It was a pain that he knew he had caused.

"Go. Away." The Queen voice.

"Regina-"

"Please. Robin, just.. Just leave me alone," Regina pleaded as she tilted her head somewhat towards him; just enough to ensure that her face remained hidden by the gentle sweep of her hair.

"Regina, I am so-"

"You're so what Robin?! Sorry? For which part? Hmm? Leaving me here, having a baby with my sister or telling her you will call off the one day that is about us?" Regina said in a horrifyingly soft yet cold voice. She ensured that she continued to face away from him.

"That's not fair-"

"No. No it's not. None of this is fair. You know, i'm not even angry with you. Not really. I'm angry with myself!" Regina said as she stood up from the log and started to laugh.

"What? Regina-"

"How could I possibly think I could have this. You know, I genuinely thought, for one tiny little minute that we would get married. That I would get to be your wife, wear the white dress and we would live happily ever after, loving each other and raising our kids."

As Regina spoke, Robin watched in horror as he saw the woman he loved, the woman he wanted desperately to comfort slowly begin to fall apart.

"Regina of course can have that," he said as he made his way towards her. His heart sank to the bottom of his stomach when he reached his arm out to take her hand but she slowly squirmed at his touch.

"Do you even want that? "

"Of course I want it! Regina I love you! I have loved you for as long as I can remember, and I will love you till the second I go to my grave!"

"Then fight for me!" Regina shouted as she turned to him. It was then that Robin saw the puffy, red eyes and the black eye makeup that had slowly trickled down her face; she had been crying. Yet another thing that crushed Robin's heart for he knew that she rarely cried; the last time Robin remembered was when their son died.

"What?"

"Fight for me, Robin! I have tried okay? I really have but I am tired of being the strong one. I am tired of being the better one. Do you have any idea how close I came to ending my sister? Without her, we would be fine, we would be happy but do you know why I didn't? Henry. And Roland. Our family!" Regina shouted as the tears began to stream down her cheeks and her Evil Queen persona had been displaced. She was shouting so loud that the birds flew from the trees they once found solace in and took to the sky.

"Regina I -" Robin had only ever seen her so lost when baby Henry died and it broke him; he swore he would never allow her to feel so alone or depressed many years ago. Yet here they were.

"I needed you, Robin! I needed you and you weren't there! You were with her! Even worse, you are fighting for her!" Regina screamed. With this, she seemed defeated. Her defiant, strong facade disappeared with one loud yell and as the tears fell form her eyes, her shoulders began to heave. She looked so small and lost as she sat on the tree that had fallen on its side many moons ago. Robin went to her, and wrapped his arms around her. She fought him for a moment or two, trying to use her arms to push herself away from, but his perseverance in his desire to comfort her and the undeniable relief she felt when she was in his arms eventually won. She eventually allowed herself to melt into his chest and breathe in the comforting smell of him.

"Regina listen to me," Robin said as her tears gradually began to lessen and her heart stopped aching.

"I cannot tell you how sorry I am. What I said, what happened- I didn't mean one word of it. I was worried she would leave with Hope - I was never, ever going to go through with it-"

"I'm not asking you to choose. Robin, I have never asked you to choose; not between me and Hope. Our kids come first; that's the way it's always been and thats the way it'll always be-"

"Regina listen to me. It isn't about the kids. This is about you and me, and about me apologising for my being an absolute idiot," Robin said as gesture for the two of them to sit down. Regina agreed and sat slightly tilted so that she was facing Robin and as Robin held her hands tightly in his, he looked at the pain in her eyes.

"You have been.. incredible. These last few weeks.. I couldn't have dealt with it, amy of it, without you. I have let you down, my lady. This whole thing is a shambles but I swear that I will spend every moment from here on in proving that I love you, "

"I don't need you to show me that you love me every moment of every day. I already know that. I just don't know if that's enough any more," Regina said as she looked to the cold, black forrest floor, unable and unwilling to see the sting that she knew would cross Robin's face.

"Wh- Regina what are you-"

"I - I don't know, Robin. I just don't think i'm.. good enough to do this," Regina explained. In her head she knew exactly what she meant, but she wasn't able to articulate that into words.

"Do what? Get married…. or be with me?" Robin asked as his brows began to furrow and an odd concoction of fear and confusion spread across his face.

"I… I just don't know. I love you, so, so much. Which is why it kills me seeing you with her, knowing that she has given you something that I will never be able to have. You two are connected in a way you and I will never be-"

"We have Esme,"

"But we didn't raise her. We didn't get to endure sleepless nights together or sing her to sleep or-"

"Regina I will never do that with Zelena. Don't get that confused. Yes, she is the mother of my daughter, and so yes, I have to see her an awful lot more than I would like. But that is where our connection end. There are no conflicting feelings, there is no confusion. I love you. I will always love you. And I will do whatever you want-" Robin tried to explain, devastated by what he was hearing from the lips of the woman he adored.

"It's not about what I want, Robin. It's about what I need. And what I need is to be the woman you helped me become, the mother that Henry deserves, and I can't be that when I have to constantly have my sister rubbing you and your daughter in my face-" Regina tried to explain. She was gripped Robin's hand, as if she was forcing herself to say these things when every bone in her body willed her not to.

"Then don't," Robin exclaimed. He lent down on his knee and raised her hand to his mouth; literally begging her to listen. The pain in Regina's eyes gave him hope; she didn't mean this. She didn't want to be without him, anymore than he wanted to be without her, but she was determined in her conviction.

"You wont have to deal with her. I can be in charge of drop off's, she can stay in the cell, whatever you want is exactly we will do. I know I have put you in this situation my darling and for that I am immensely sorry. But please, Regina think about what I need," Robin implored as he held her hand just as tightly as she was gripping his.

"You need Hope," Regina said with a whisper.

"I do, just like I need Roland and just like I need Henry. But Regina I need you! We need each other Regina, that's just the way it is," he said as he slowly placed his forehead to hers ad caressed her porcelain face.

"Robin-" Regina said with slight protestation but Robin kept his forehead against hers, and eventually she listened.

"Look at me," he said as he gently held her precious face in his hands and moved back slightly so that he could look her directly in the eye.

"If you can look me in the eye and tell me that you don't love me, I will leave. I swear I will leave you alone and you will never have to see me again. But if you feel for me even an inkling of what I feel for you, even the slightest little bit, marry me. Regina we have been through too much for me to lose you now," Robin said as he felt tears slowly begin to prick his eyes. He hated it; he wanted so desperately to be strong for her when she needed him, yet he simply couldn't. These last few months had been horrendous and he knew all too well that the only reason he was still in one piece was because of Regina and her strength. He couldn't lose her. And in that moment, all of those emotions began to overwhelm him.

"Robin, it's not about how much I love you. That's never been the issue-"

"Regina I don't care about Zelena! I love you. Do you hear me? I. Love. You. Not her. It will always be you. You want me to fight for you? Fine. This is me fighting. I swear to you that as long a there is breath in body I will never give up on this, on us. Not until you tell me. Tell me that you don't love me, and I will leave," Robin said. He searched Regina's eyes for something; some sign that would show him what she wanted. She was right; them loving each other was never the issue. He knew that she felt that the entire world was against them, and his behaviour the last few weeks hadn't helps that. He needed her to know that that didn't matter; that didn't show how he felt.

"I… It's just so complicated-" Regina began to explain. She looked into his eyes, just the way he had hers, and longed to find the answer she was searching for. She couldn't keep going on like this; watching him play with his daughter while her sister taunting her at every possible opportunity. But she also loved him too much to ever be without him.

"Then we shall un-complicate it! Do you love me?" Robin asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"It isn't about that-"  
"Regina. Do. You. Love. Me." Robin said as he gently kissed her nose between each word.

"Of course I do," Regina said as she slowly allowed herself to break down the barrier she had put up.

"Then that's all I need to know," Robin said as he longingly kissed Regina's forehead.

"Why do you want to marry me?" Regina asked, as she ran her hands along the top of his; making him tingle at the slightest touch.

"Because I truly believe that I was put on this earth to love you. You deserve an awful lot more than a common thief, my lady, and I am by no means perfect. But I can assure you that no one will ever love you the way I do. I spent so long running, that with you I found a home." Robin explained as he kept his head as close to hers, enjoying the gentle heat of her breath as it gently brushed against his upper lip.

"What about Zelena?"

"It is you, me, Henry, Roland and Hope. That is our family. That is where my heart is. Zelena means nothing. At most, she is a complication. But she's a complication we can deal with. But I can't do this Regina. Not without you," he said. As he studied her eyes he knew that she was finally beginning to soften and so as he tilted his head just a little, he was relieved when his lips very gently brushed hers. As he kissed her softly, he only had to wait a nanosecond before he felt Regina's lips kiss his. Her hands slowly travelled to the back of his head and together the two found solace simply in the comfort of each other. As much as Robin enjoyed the gentle touch of Regina's hand as it ran slowly along the back of his neck, he needed to know if Regina wanted what he wanted. He longed to avoid this question, and had tried desperately to persuade her, but he couldn't make her do something that she didn't want to do, and so he gently pulled away from her tantalising kiss and asked.

"Regina. I cannot apologise enough-"

"Yes," Regina said as a smile began to spread across her face; a smile that was as infectious as it was rare.

"Yes what?" Robin asked. He hoped with every fibre in his body that it was the answer to the question he hadn't yet answered, but he needed to be sure before he allowed himself to be get excited.

"Yes, I want to marry you. If you want me," Regina asked.

"Oh I want you alright," Robin said with a smile and with that he stood up, lifted Regina into his arms and kissed her lips with as much passion and happiness as he could.

"Oh! Robin you're hurting me," Regina giggled as Robin spun her around and loosened the grip on her waist. As she looked down at his face, the smile that had spread across it filled Regina's heart with love and blissful happiness. She would happily wake up to that face every single morning for the rest of her life. She would gladly look into those eyes every night before she slept. There was nothing that she wanted more than to be his wife, for him to be hers and her to be his for the rest of their lives. Now that she knew that he wanted that just as much as she did, her decision was simple.

"Oh, sorry," Robin said as he put her down. He took one moment to stare at her, to stare at how beautiful she was with a smile on her face and eyes that were filled with happiness. In that moment, everything seemed a whole lot less daunting. With her in his arms, it seemed like everything that had happened with Zelena was utterly unimportant. All of the issues, all of the problems and all of the challenges they had faced seemed ridiculous. This was simply because none were truly as horrifying as when he was faced with the possibility of losing the woman he had already lost too many times.


	29. Wedding Part 3

"We should probably call Esme," Robin said as he slowly, and begrudgingly, pulled away from the soft embrace of Regina. He felt an overwhelming sense of content now that he knew that she was going to be his wife.

"Why is it so important to you?" Regina purred as she gently ran her thumb along the outline of his lips before gradually running her fingers through his hair.

"Why is what so important to me?" Robin asked. The sight of her precious and beautifully rare smile ensured that he was completely lost in the moment. He smiled as he looked into her eyes while she looked at him quizzically, yet with eyes full of love.

"Because I love you," Robin repeated.

"Will you love me any less without a piece of paper?" Regina said as as her smile grew. She wasn't entirely sure why she was smiling; she just couldn't quite help herself.

"A piece- Regina, marriage isn't about a piece of paper," Robin exclaimed. He knew that she was teasing, he need only look into her playful eyes to see that, however he couldn't help getting slightly more frustrated than her was sure Regina had intended. He wasn't frustrated at Regina, but at the fact he hadn't been able to get Regina to understand the significance to him of what he had proposed.

"Regina, I don't care about a piece of paper," Robin explained, as he gently stroked Regina's cheek with he back of his forefinger.

"That piece of paper doesn't tell me how much I love you, nor does it tell me how much you love me. My heart tells me that. Every bone in my body tells me that. What marriage does is prove to you, that I am devoted to you, and our family," Robin continued as he took both of Regina's hands in his.

"Regina, I have failed you. Many years ago, I promised to spend every moment of every day making you happy, and recently I have failed quite spectacularly. But you agreeing to be my wife," he explained as he removed his hands from hers and gently placed them on her waist. "you being my wife isn't actually for you." He gradually and gently pushed Regina closer and closer to the nearest tree, an action to which her smile changed; it changed from being full of love to full of desire. It was tantalising. Teasing.

"Oh wasn't it?" Regina giggled as she ran her hands from Robins hands the whole way up his arm, gently brushing her nails against his soft skin.

"No," Robin said as he slowly lowered his head to hers, and very softly kissed her neck.

"Then why?" Regina asked as she rolled her head back, enjoying the heat of Robins breath on her neck.

"You show me what strength is," Robin said as he kissed Regina firmly on the lips before pulling away.

"You show me what love is," Robin said as he repeated the same action.

"You make me better," Robin said. He barely had enough time to finish the sentence before Regina pulled him firmly into her. He steadied himself and Regina against a tree, and the two's lips met. Passion quickly grew to hunger, and the two needed, and wanted, each other greatly. As Robin slowly lowered his hands from Regina's waist, Regina tugged at his shirt. Robin, however, remembered their three very worried children and felt that they should know the good news. With that reminder, he slowly, and particularly begrudgingly dragged himself away from his beautiful fiancé.

"Kids," Robin announced clumsily, still pressed tightly against Regina; feeling her chest rise and fall with every breath. Regina giggled; his announcement was childlike. As if the word was more of a reminder for him than for her.

"The kids. Right. Do you want to do the honours?" Regina asked, as she took a moment to catch her breath. As Robin took a slight step backwards, Regina flirtatiously reached into his trouser pocket to bring out the cellphone that she knew Robin could barely use.

"You better. I'm still not used to this new….this new umm…" Robin stuttered as the feel of Regina's hand teased him; thus forcing the word to leave his brain.

"Cell phone," Regina finished as she pulled out the phone and began to dial.

"Cell phone. Right," Robin laughed as he gently brushed the hair out of her face. Regina stared at him for a moment, placed her hand gently on the back of his neck and kissed him softly.

"I love you Robin Hood," she whispered in his ear. He looked at her, exuding joy and warmth.

"And I love you, Regina Mills," Robin said as he used both of his hands to hold her delicate face. The two continued to stare at one another, blissfully lost in one another's eyes like giddy, lovestruck teenagers. That is until they heard a familiar voice.

"Mom? Robin?"

"Henry?" Regina asked as she whirled around to face the general direction she thought the sound had come from. As she turned around to face the direction her back had been, she saw Henry traipsing through the uneven, muddy forrest ground.

"Is everything okay?" Regain asked worriedly as she left the embrace of Robin and moved towards her son.

"Funny, I was here to ask you guys that. Are you guys good?" Henry asked both Regina and Robin. He wanted desperately to overlook the somewhat compromising position that he had found his mom and Robin in. Regina looked back to where Robin was standing and smiled somewhat as their eyes met.

"Yes, we are good," Regina said with a smile. She kissed Henry on the forehead and smiled as Robin placed his jacket around her while Henry gave her his scarf. Amidst all of the pain and heartbreak that had preceded that moment, she had forgotten that she was freezing; primarily due to the fact that she was wearing her bed camisole and a bedgown with some very unfashionable slippers. An outfit choice that was neither attractive nor warm.

"Good, Esme wants you home. Both of you," Henry said as he grabbed each of their wrists and slowly pulled them in the direction that he had just come from.

"What? Henry the town hall has been ruined-" Regina began but Henry continued to power through the leaves and twigs and dragged them both with him.

"Doesn't matter," Henry simply stated as he struggled to navigate the cold, slippery, leaf covered ground.

"Henry, we don't even know-" Robin began but Henry gave him a defiant look that signalled he should stop. What he was going to say was that he and Regina had not yet decided if they would get married today. Yes, she had agreed that they would get married, but Robin felt that she deserved better; he wanted her to have the day she dreamt of. As much as it pained him to admit it, he wasn't entirely sure that that could be achieved; not today.

"Esme, has sorted everything," Henry said as he turned around and smiled.

"She has?" Regina asked with a hint of surprise. Regina knew that Esme wanted her to have a perfect day, but she also knew that Esme had been struggling to adjust to being back home. The woman that returned from Messenne, the one what was vulnerable and open with her family, disappeared, especially after Hope's arrival. Although Regina hated to admit it, Esme had most certainly inherited her mother's defensive instincts; Hope's arrival had forced Esme to hide her vulnerability and protect her family. It had also caused a slight wedge between Robin and Esme; something that was unusual for the two as they were usually very close.

"Yup. Now, you need to poof back home because Esme wants to help you get ready," Henry said as he kissed his mother's cheek.

"And Roland and I are going to help you get ready at David's," Henry said as he turned to Robin. As Regina and Robin remained still, somewhat in shock at the sudden haste of events, Henry shot his mother a look that she knew all too well.

"Mom! Go!" he chastised. He continued to stare at her until she laughed a little with Robin before she poofed herself away in a glorious cloud of deep, purple smoke.

"And I come with you?" Robin asked. Henry simply nodded and the two walked towards Snow and David's house. He was actually glad of a few moments alone with Henry; the two had become more distant than Robin would have liked, much like he and Esme had. Robin was well aware of the change in his relationships; he struggled to maintain his relationship with his family in light of Zelena's wickedness. He was angry that he had given the witch exactly what she wanted these last few months, but she would not take his family; he simply would never let her.

"Henry, do you mind if we talk?" Robin asked the young man he had grown to love as a son. People were always keen to distinguish between the two - a biological son and a step-son - but Robin had never saw it as that. Perhaps it was because Regina had loved Roland as a son from the beginning, or perhaps it was because Henry was such a wonderful young man; but he had never thought of him as anything other than family, It was for this reason that Robin had noticed the slight changes in his, and Esme's, behaviour around him; he wanted that to change.

"Sure," Henry replied simply.

"Listen mate, I know things have been tough-" Robin began but Henry interrupted him by putting his arm around his shoulder.

"Robin, Esme explained everything so don't worry I understand. It may take a little time to get used to our new normal but we'll get through it. We're family," Henry said, to which Robin simply put his arm around Henry and patted his back; the common way for men to show their affection.

As they were about to enter Snow and David's apartment, they met a very flustered and rushed Snow.

"Everything alright?" Robina asked as Snow attempted to scurry away.

"Me? Oh yeah, I just forgot something," Snow said as she attempted to conceal a folded piece of paper in her hands. However, as she fumbled to conceal it, she dropped it, and Robin dutifully picked it up. As he lifted it, it began to unfold, and revealed an image that had Robin spellbound. It was an image of a day that Robin had barely remembered; the first time Robin proposed. They were seated in their meadow, surrounded by gorgeous flowers. Regina looked glorious; beaming with happiness and as her hands gently held Robin's face as they kissed, her green emerald ring was just visible.

"How-" was the only thing that Robin could say. This page, the one that looked ancient and crumpled, was from the book. Only, it hadn't been there before.

"I don't know. I picked the book up off the floor of Henry's room and it was opened at that. I thought it would be nice for Regina to have. I thought it might give her some hope…. unless you want it?" Snow asked. She saw the happiness that had come across Robin's joyous face, and felt obliged to offer the image to him.

"No, no. You're right. She deserves this," Robin said as he continued to stare at the image and smile. Henry, shielded from the image by an unknowing Robin, couldn't see the image that they were discussing.

"What is it?" Henry asked as he leaned over Robin's shoulder in an attempt to catch a glimpse of it.

"It's our happy ending," Robin said with a smile, before folding the page up once again and returning it to Snow.

"Take this to her. Thank you," Robin said before walking through to David's apartment with Henry. As Snow scurried along the corridor and out onto the street, she saw the beautiful day that had transpired and laughed slightly at the irony. Many years ago, it was Regina who had ruined her wedding to David. Yet now, Snow was rushing to give Regina one little thing that she genuinely thought would make her day that little bit more special. Snow laughed; although she liked to think that it was a wonderful reflection on her, it was truly a testament to Regina and the person that she had become. Regina had finally become the mother that Henry deserved and the woman she wanted to be; Snow was glad that she was now getting to see the benefits of goodness.

As she entered Regina's house, she was greeted by an oddly calm sound of laughter.

"Regina?" Snow called as she wondered where Belle and Granny had gone.

"In my room!" Regina responded. Snow walked towards the room, with the page carefully in her hand and smiled at the sight she was greeted by. Granny and Belle were in their best clothes and look stunning, but both were fussing over Esme who sat on a chair in front of Regina's vanity table. As Regina stood to the side and joked with her daughter, Granny carefully applied some blush to Esme's cheeks while Belle gently pulled the curlers out of her hair. After a few moments of spraying hairspray and perfume, Esme slowly got up and all four women gazed at her; their mouths covered in disbelief.

"Oh Esme," Regina whispered as she struggled to fight back yet more tears. She looked stunning. Her gorgeous brown hair fell down past her shoulders in gentle, soft curls. Her makeup was subtle, yet elegant and her gorgeous green eyes were set off by the brown shimmer that Granny had gently placed across her lids. All of this complimented the delicate, rose pink dress that she wore. Falling slightly below her knees, the strappy top melded to her slender frame before flowing from her waist.

"Mom, don't cry!" Esme remarked as she went to her mom and wrapped her in a hug. As Regina enjoyed her embrace for a moment, she was reminded of everything that she had missed out on in Esme's life and was simply grateful that she was here for this.

"Now come on, time to get you ready," Esme said.

"Oh, wait. We are going to let you two do that together, but I, well Robin, just wanted to give you this," Snow said as she handed Regina the crumpled piece of paper. Regina initially looked confused as to why a piece of paper was so significant that Snow had to return home. However when she opened it, she found out why. As Regina continued to stare at the image in disbelief, Esme joined her mother and stared at the image.

"Mom, what is this?" Esme asked, baffled by what the page meant. This looked like Regina's memory; the one where Robin proposed. But that hadn't been in the book before, Esme was sure of it. Esme looked from the image to her mother; Regina was smiling as she gently ran her fingers delicately across the page.

"He was right" Regina laughed; she couldn't help but smile as she reminisced about that moment; a moment that, although it had long escaped her memory, was now a very permanent part of her life. This page was the epitome of that.

"Thank you," Regina said, as she looked at Snow. Snow and Regina stared at each other for a moment; both of them understood the deeper meaning behind the common phrase. Regina, much like Snow, would never forget the woman she once was; she knew exactly what she had done to Snow. In many ways, what Zelena had done to her was exactly what Regina had done to Snow all those years ago, and so Regina needed her to know how grateful she was. Grateful for her forgiveness, her support, and more importantly, her friendship. Snow understood this, and simply hugged her in response. Esme smiled at the encounter; although Regina was most definitely genuine in her gratitude, but she wasn't particularly affectionate. Nevertheless, Regina smiled and chatted as she walked Snow and the others to the door. Esme waited in Regina and Robin's bedroom, slowly gathered her things and imagined all of the scenarios that would soon unfold.

"What are you smiling about?" Regina asked as she laughed slightly and lent on the doorframe with her arms crossed.

"Me? Nothing!" Esme laughed but Regina wasn't convinced. As she continued to stare at her daughter, Esme knew that Regina wanted her to continue.

"I'm just excited, that's all! Aren't you?" Esme asked.

"I'll be more excited when-"

"When you're up that aisle and exchanging your vows, I know. And I promise you, that is exactly what is going to happen," Esme swore as she grabbed her mothers hands and brought her to the vanity table. As Regina sat at the table and stared in the mirror she relished in the reflection. Not hers, but what she saw. Esme was joking and smiling as she gently pulled the curlers out of Regina's hair; the two gossiped and laughed so much that Esme had to reapply Regina's blush pink lipstick twice. This image was something Regina had dreamt of ever since she found out about Esme.

"So where exactly am I getting married?" Regina laughed as Esme gently applied some blush to her cheeks.

"It's a surprise," Esme whispered whimsical and with a slight giggle. Regina gazed at her daughter in utter amazement. How could it be that less than a year ago, Regina didn't even know that she existed. But now, as she sat there and stared at her daughter, there was nothing she wouldn't do for her, nothing she wouldn't give for her. Regina had imagined this day for years, but maybe the reason it hadn't happened earlier, maybe the reason for all of those bumps in the road was so that Regina could sit on a vanity chair and smile as her daughter helped her get ready for her wedding. Maybe Robin was right; it was all about timing.

"You ready for your dress?" Esme asked. With that, Regina's heart fluttered slightly; she was excited and nervous and happy all at once. Those butterflies then multiplied once Esme unzipped the dress bag. As Regina stepped into the soft, white dress, Esme gently pulled the zip up and the two walked to the mirror. Both were taken aback by the reflection.

"Mom, you look… stunning," Esme whispered as she struggled to stop her voice from cracking. Regina's dress was stunning. It was a simple, A-line satin gown. The exquisite lace bodice fitted her perfectly and gently expanded once it reached her hips into a gorgeous princess-like gown. There was nothing overtly extravagant about it, no embellishments or diamonds, but that seemed perfect. The Evil Queen loved decadent outfits but this dress was a true symbol of how Regina had evolved. It was modest, elegant, stunning; like her. Regina, however, was smiling for a very different reason; the reflection. Regina was startled by how Esme was an almost perfect combination of Robin and herself; her raven hair and eyes were Regina's but her nature and facial features were all Robin. Regina allowed a slight tear to fall down; something Esme was quick to notice.

"Hey! No tears! What's wrong?" Esme said as she pulled Regina around to look at her and gently patted the tear; trying to remove as little makeup as possible in the process.

"No, no. Nothing's wrong. I… I just never thought i'd have this," Regina said as she smiled and cried some more while Esme got more tissues from Regina's bedside table.

"Have what?" Esme asked as she handed her mom some tissues.

"Robin. Henry. Roland. You. I dunno, it just… i'm just so glad that you're here," Regina said as she ignored the tissues that Esme had handed to her and pulled her daughter into her arms.

"Me too mom. Me too," Esme said, as she gently hugged her mom back, trying not to damage Regina's dress. As the two enjoyed the comfort in their bond, one that was getting stronger by the day, the two jumped at the rude yet familiar buzz and bleep of Esme's knew phone.

"Oh!" Esme shouted as she jumped, before she realised the source of the noise.

"Stupid phone. Mom, do you see it?" Esme said as she frantically searched for the source of her annoyance. She wasn't sure exactly how, but she was almost certain Henry had purposely picked the one sound that would anger Esme most; it was a horrendous foghorn that blared at full volume.

"It's on the bed," Regina said as she giggled at her daughters anger.

"Stupid thing. Ugh! Mom, can you turn this off? It won't… it won't work!" Esme asked as she frantically tried sliding her finger across the screen, just like the phone told her to do, but it wasn't working. Regina laughed as she took the phone out of Esme's hand and stopped the incessant bleeping that she also found exceptionally irritating.

"Thank you!" Esme said, exasperated as to why something that Regina had made look so simple had taken her so long to figure out.

"What was that alarm for?" Regina tried to say through her laughs.

"Hey! That's a very fancy phone, it's gonna take me a while to get used to it!" Esme said as she playfully slapped Regina's arm. She then hurried through the room and frantically grabbed as much as she could before eventually heading towards the door. It was not until she got to the door that she realised she had forgotten one fairly fundamental thing; the bride. As she turned to get her mother, she laughed as Regina had remained in the spot where Esme had left her; albeit somewhat confused at Esme's sudden haste.

"Oh, that alarm was my reminder that you and I have to leave," Esme said as she grabbed her mom's hand and pulled her through the house to the door. The house wasn't as messy as Esme thought it would be, which was perfect. She and the boys hadn't really had enough time to plan a proper honeymoon for the two; the least she could do was make sure they didn't come home to a huge mess. Although Esme had initially grabbed Regina's hand simply to prompt her to move, Regina didn't let go, not even once they had left the house. Thus,as the two women walked hand in hand through the street, Esme felt comfortable enough to ask her mom a question.

"Mom?" Esme said as she turned to her mom.

"Yeah?" Regina said with a smile. Prior to Esme's question she was blissfully out of tune; she didn't have one worry in her mind and that was absolutely fine.

"Back at the house, what did you mean when you said 'he was right'?" Esme asked. She thought it had been odd at the time, but she didn't want to ask her mom something that was clearly personal infant of Granny and Belle.

"Oh. Well, you remember the story in the book about when I left that tavern, the one Robin was in?" Regina explained as she linked her arm with Esme's and continued to walk.

"Yeah?" Esme answered.

"Well a couple of years ago, I told Robin how I wished I had gone in. If even for a second, maybe things would have turned out differently. But he said, maybe its all about timing. I never really understood what that meant until now," Regina explained but as she looked at Esme, who's brows were furrowed, she laughed and continued.

"When I saw you standing next to me, I realised that Robin was right; everything that has happened has brought you here. It's brought you home. There is nothing that we want more than that," Regina said as she gently placed one of Esme's curl that had fallen out of place behind her ear.

"I'm glad I get to be here too," Esme said as she playfully nudged Regina's shoulder. Esme was an affectionate person, she found great power and comfort in the simplicity of a hug, but she was not a huge fan of the mushy gushiness.

"So, lovely as it is, exactly how far do we have to walk?" Regina asked; half joking half not. She had been holding the beautiful lace train of her dress the entire way and so her hand was gradually beginning to cramp and the heels she was wearing were more for look than practicality.

"Not far," Esme said with a laugh as she slowly pulled Regina off the road and into the forrest.

"Wh- No, no no. The forrest? I'm in heels!" Regina protested.

"I am too! Don't worry the terrain is pretty level-"

"You are so your fathers daughter," Regina mumbled as she clung to Esme's arm for balance as she tried to navigated the twigs and slippery autumn leaves.

"I've been called worse," Esme laughed as she watched Regina trudge through the forrest. As the two rounded a corner, Esme watched in delight. Although they were hidden behind a wall of trees, Regina still had a spectacular view of what Esme had been working so hard on. There was a beautiful, natural canopy that the trees had made just east of the town centre. The huge, aged oaks had formed a stunning, wide corridor, which provided Regina with a unique and perfect aisle. Granny had helped Esme carry over a few chairs, which they had then draped with some willow and honeysuckle that she had found a few meters or so west. Esme had scattered some rose petals to differentiate between the beautiful yellow and orange leaves below the chairs and the aisle. The trees that were predominantly leafless flooded the area with intricate patterns of warm, yellow sunlight while also enclosing the open space. At the end of the aisle was the arch that Esme had brought from Granny's and had decorated with some beautiful green crawlers and whatever flowers they could find. The area looked stunning; Regina was astounded.

"Oh Esme…" was all Regina could manage to say. Robin would love this; it was perfect in every way.

"You like it?" Esme said as she beamed with pride.

"Like- I love it. This is more than I could ever im-" Regina began but once again, the beauty of the place quite literally took her breath away. More surprising than the beauty was the fact that the seats were filled. Storybrooke was an exceptionally small town, and Regina knew that she had tormented almost all of its inhabitants; thus to see almost everyone there to celebrate with her was something Regina had only ever dreamed of.

"Good," Esme said as she gave her mothers waist a tight squeeze before giving her a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"You have nothing to worry about, okay? Everyone asked to be here; they want you to be happy," Esme implored, hoping to relieve some of the worry that was still creeping into her mothers expressions.

"Everyone?" Regina asked as she eventually saw Henry and Roland walk towards them. The sight of them both in their suits was the one thing that left Regina unable to control her emotions and a tear of joy gently cascaded down her cheek as Henry pulled her into a tight embrace.

"You look gorgeous mom," Henry said as he clung to his mom.

"Thank you honey," Regina whispered as she returned the favour and clung to her son.

"Yeah everyone," Esme said. "I've protected this space with every protection spell imaginable so Zelena won't be able to try anything," Esme explained.

"It's true. We used every spell in Belle's book both on her cell and here so you're good to go," Henry explained. Esme and Regina laughed at his sportsman like response; he seemed so grown up in his suit yet so young as he held his mothers hand.

"Gina, you look really really pretty," Roland said as he wrapped his little arms around Regina's waist. Regina thanked him before she crouched down and kissed his cheek; an action that caused him to giggle. As the family began to laugh simply at Roland's little giggle, Snow slowly and quietly walked towards them carrying Hope. Her little dress matched Esme's and she had a pretty white bow that was clipped to her fair, brown hair.

"Oh Regina, you look stunning," Snow said as she handed Hope to Esme, who happily bounced the baby girl.

"Thank you," Regina said, feeling somewhat self-conscious as the nerves began to build.

"Enjoy this," Snow said simply, after which she hugged Regina and returned to her seat.

"Okay guys, you ready?" Esme asked her family.

"Almost. Hey mom?" Henry asked.

"Yes?" Regina said sceptically.

"I know I was supposed to walk down with Roland but… I would really like to be the one to walk you down the aisle. Would that be okay?" Henry asked tentatively. He looked a Esme for a moment; unsure as to whether his last minute plan would disrupt her perfectly planned day. Esme, however, had the same expression on her face as Regina; they were both teary eyed and had ridiculous smiles on their faces.

"Oh Henry," Regina said, as she pulled Henry in close to her. She could burst with pride at the incredible young man that he had become; he had loved her long before she even deserved it and she could never thank him enough for that.

"Is that a yes, because we've really got to get going," Henry said as his mother squeezed him slightly too tight.

"Yes, that's a yes," Regina laughed as she carefully wiped her eyes. With that, everything moved so quickly. As Esme, and Hope, ran to the corner of the top of the isle, she gave a little thumbs up to Snow who pressed play on Henry's phone before taking her seat. A beautiful, orchestral song echoed through the picturesque setting as Esme ushered little Roland, and his white satin pillow that contained the rings, down the aisle. It was then that Esme began to slowly walk down the aisle, carrying the cherubic baby Hope in her arms. Then, it was Regina and Henry's turn. As the two turned the corner and neared the top of isle, Henry extended his arm and smiled.

"You ready?" Henry asked as he glanced at his mother. She had this look on her face; one that was so full of emotion that it made it difficult for even him to decipher how she was feeling. But despite the nerves that he knew she must be feeling, she was happy. She was his mom, he knew her better than anybody, and he just knew that today was a day she had been waiting years for. It was a day everyone had been waiting for; but especially Regina.

"Ready," Regina said as she beamed. How could she not be? Her daughter had planned a truly perfect day, her son was walking her down the isle, her other soon to be son was standing beside the man she was going to love for the rest of her life and she was surrounded by people that had given her the best gift she could receive; forgiveness. The entirety of the walk down the isle, all Regina could do was stare at Robin and the spectacular, pride-filled smile that was spread across his face. Regina knew that she was wearing the same, ridiculously wide smile as Robin; she just didn't care. She didn't care if she looked ridiculous. She didn't care if everyone stared. With every step that she and Henry took, she was one step closer to marrying the man that she knew she was born to love. As she and Henry neared the end of the aisle, Regina's hands trembled slightly as Henry hugged Robin before transferring Regina's hand form his own to Robin's.

As Dr. Hopper stood smiling below the arch, Robin beamed with pride as he held Regina's hands. As he looked to Regina's right, he saw his eldest daughter holding his youngest daughter and as he looked behind him to his left, he saw his son proudly holding the hand of his son-to-be son. This was his family. This was his life. He couldn't be happier.

"Well, thank you everybody. Please be seated," said Dr. Hopper as he addressed the crowd that had come to celebrate Robin and Regina's day.

"Today, we are here to celebrate a day we weren't always sure would happen…" he began, however his somewhat questionable start was met with confused glares from Regina and Esme and so he quickly continued the speech he had meticulously planned.

"..but one that I am so glad has come," he said as he smiled warmly at Regina, hoping that somehow his smile would reflect how proud he was.

"As much as I would like to ramble on, I am under strict instructions to keep this concise," Dr Hopper said as he nodded playfully towards Esme who laughed.

"And so, I believe that you two have prepared some vows. Regina?" Dr. Hopped said as he gestured towards Regina before taking a slight step backwards. This was the part that Regina was least looking forward to; doing this in front of so many people. She hadn't imagined having so many people at her wedding - at least not since she was a young girl - and she was grateful. She was so very grateful for their support and their forgiveness. But she was also nervous. She had been so isolated and so closed off for so long that opening herself up, telling everyone how she felt, somehow seemed odd. It went against everything that she had been forced to get used to for years. As Regina struggled to remember the words she had written down and practised hundreds of times, Robin squeezed her hand and began to talk.

"Actually, I would like to go first if you don't mind?" Robin said as he asked Dr Hopper, who simply nodded in response.

"Well, who would have known we would ever be here? A common thief marrying an ex evil queen," Robin began as the crowd murmured with laughter.

"Regina, I have loved you for as long as I can remember. I know that we have been through so much and that sometimes it seems like anything and everything is trying to keep us apart. But we have overcome all of it. We have overcome every obstacle. We have endured every trial. And the reason we are together is because we are meant to be. Every single day, I am mesmerised by you. I am continually astounded by how much you love our children, how unfathomably strong you are and how you have overcome the darkness that once consumed you. It has been my pleasure to by your side as you walk into the light, and I swear to you now, that for as long as you will have me, it would be my stand by your side for the rest of our lives," Robin said. As Regina's smile grew with every word, Robin gently wipes away a tear that was slowly making its way down her cheek. As she continued to stand in one place, silent, Robin laughed.

"Now it's your turn," he whispered.

"Oh, umm. Well, i'm going to keep this short," Regina said. Much like they had done with Robin, the crowd muttered with some laughter; clearly aware that Regina was uncomfortable and trying to make light of the incredibly personal moment.

"Robin, I love you. And there is nothing that I want more than to spend the rest of our lives together. Growing old. Raising our kids. Our family taught me to be happy; and for that I will be forever grateful," Regina said and with that she squeezed Robin's hands; willing him to realise that there were so many things that she wanted to say but couldn't. What she said wasn't even remotely close to the vows that she had written days ago, and rehearsed for hours; but it was concise and it was beautiful. So beautiful that almost everyone who had attended the ceremony could practically feel the love between the two. Esme glanced at Henry from across the aisle and as their two eyes met, Esme saw that Henry was the happiest that he had ever been; after all, not only had his mother changed the type of person that she was, now, with Robin, she had finally got the happy ending that she deserved.

"Well I guess now it's my turn again," Dr Hopper interjected as he stepped forwards to address the town once again. It was then that he continued with the typical wedding questions. As Robin and Regina exchanged their "I do's" neither of them could help but smile. For Robin, it was an odd yet wonderful moment. This was his second wedding, and although he truly loved Marion, the love that he felt for Regina was different; incomparable. He couldn't distinguish the reason why. It just was. And it was wonderful. He had loved Regina long before he met Marion, yet despite everything that had happened that made him lose Regina, they found each other once again; they were fated. Robin had always known that, there was just something in his gut that knew he and Regina were simply meant to be; so that moment, the second that he said 'I do' felt like the final piece in a puzzle. For Regina, this day marked the beginning.

"Well now that that's out of the way, it is with great pleasure that I now pronounce you man and wife!" Dr Hopper exclaimed and just as he was about to open his mouth to continue, Robin had already pulled Regina into him tightly. With one hand on her waist and the other gently cupping her chin, Robin finally kissed his wife. As the two kissed, everyone who had attended the wedding got to their feet and cheered and clapped. Esme, Roland and Henry threw confetti over the newlyweds. Although both Robin and Regina knew that their kiss had probably gone on for long enough, neither could bring themselves to pull away. They were happy. Not only had their friends been able to see them do something they had longed to do for decades, but they had their family surrounding them. They were under no illusions that things would indeed be difficult, but somehow, that just didn't matter. They knew that they could face anything so long as they had their family and each other. Now they did. And so marked the beginning of the Hood-Mills family.


End file.
